Electroacupuncture Synergistically Inhibits Proinflammatory Cytokine Production and Improves Cognitive Function in Rats with Cognitive Impairment due to Hepatic Encephalopathy through p38MAPK/STAT3 and TLR4/NF-κB Signaling Pathways

Figure 2

Wistar rats were treated with intraperitoneal injections of 1 mL/kg of 35% CCl₄ twice a week for 9 weeks. When liver cirrhosis models were established, rats with cognitive impairment were screened through the Morris water maze test and randomly divided into a no-intervention group (CCl₄) and treatment groups including EA group (CCl₄ + EA), lactulose group (CCl₄ + Lac), and EA combined with lactulose group (CCl₄ + CM), with 9 rats in each group. There are 10 rats in the normal group. (a–g) Serum levels of ALT, AST, TBA, TBil, TP, ALB, and blood ammonia. The results are expressed as mean ± SD. ^### and ^## versus normal group. , , and versus CCl₄ model group. ALT: alanine aminotransferase; AST: aspartate aminotransferase; TBA: total bile acid; TBil: total bilirubin; TP: total protein; ALB: albumin.

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