To study the relationship between brain atrophy and cell apoptosis and the mechanism of the therapeutic effect of acupuncture on brain atrophy

we observed cell apoptosis in the brain of Senescence Accelerated Mouse-P/10 (SAM-P/10 ) and its naturally againg control mouse SAM-R/1. The result that cell apoptosis existed in the brain of both mice

there were more apoptosis cell in the cerebral cortex of SAM- P/10 than SAM-R/1

but there were no significant difference in the striatum of both mice. Puncturing Renzhong(DU 26)

Neiguan(PC 6) and Taichong(LR 3)inhibited cell apoptosis in the cerebral cortex of SAM-P/10. The result suggested that the brain atrophy may be caused by abnormal cell apoptosis in SAM-P/10

and the therapeutic effect of acupuncture on brain atrophy is associated with its inhibition effect on cell apoptosis.