Electroacupuncture Improves the Learning and Memory by Modulating Hippocampal Glucose Metabolism through IGF1/IGF1R Signaling in Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by progressive cognitive decline and cerebral glucose hypometabolism. Emerging evidence suggests that modulating brain glucose metabolism represents a promising therapeutic strategy for AD. Here, we demonstrate that electroacupuncture (EA) improves cognitive function in 5×FAD mice by enhancing glucose metabolism in the hippocampus. EA treatment significantly attenuated learning and memory deficits and reduced β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition in 5×FAD mice. Further analysis revealed that these improvements were associated with enhanced hippocampal glucose metabolism and optimized information processing in the brain metabolic network. In addition, EA specifically activated the IGF1/IGF1R signaling pathway in the hippocampus, which promoted membrane translocation of GLUT3 and consequently enhanced neuronal glucose uptake. The glucose metabolic enhancement boosted tricarboxylic acid cycle activity and improved synaptic plasticity. Our findings establish a novel mechanism by which EA improves the learning and memory through the IGF1/IGF1R pathway, providing both theoretic and experimental support for the clinical application of EA in AD treatment.