Electroacupuncture mitigates cognitive impairment caused by CPB by facilitating PINK1-dependent mitophagy and...

Postoperative cognitive impairment has become the popular critical post-operative consequences, especially cardiopulmonary bypass(CPB), leading to an increased risk of mortality. However, there is no Effective treatment measures for CPB induced cognitive dysfunction. Electroacupuncture(EA) has shown promise in improving cognitive function, its efficacy in preventing cognitive impairment following CPB remains unknown. The current study aims to uncover the effect and mechanism of EA in relieving CPB induced cognitive dysfunction. The results showed that CPB notably impaired cognitive performance as well as restrained PINK1-mediated mitophagy, promoted reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and damaged synaptic function in the hippocampal CA1 region. In contrast, EA alleviated CPB induced cognitive impairment and activated PINK1-mediated mitophagy and restored hippocampal synaptic protein levels, which was reversed by PINK1 downregulation. These findings extend the understanding of EA's neuroprotective mechanisms by demonstrating a causal role for PINK1-dependent mitophagy in a CPB-induced POCD model, providing a mechanistic rationale for EA preconditioning in cardiac surgery settings.