College of Korean Medicine, Sang Ji University, Wonju, Republic of Korea.
Department of Meridian & Acupoint, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Adv Exp Med Biol. 2020;1232:401-408. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-34461-0_51.
Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease, is caused by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). It is characterized by the formation of intracytoplasmic Lewy bodies that are primarily composed of the protein alpha-synuclein (α-syn), along with dystrophic neurites. Acupuncture stimulation results in an enhanced survival of dopaminergic neurons in the SN in Parkinsonism animal models. We investigated the role of acupuncture in inhibiting the increase in α-syn expression that is related to dopaminergic cell loss in the SN in a chronic 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) Parkinsonism mouse model. In this model, acupuncture stimulation at GB34 and LR3 attenuated the decrease in tyrosine hydroxylase in the SN. Moreover, acupuncture stimulation attenuated the increase in α-syn in SN. Acupuncture stimulation also maintained the phosphorylated α-syn on serine 129 at levels similar to the control group. Our findings indicate that the MPTP-mediated increase in α-syn, and the acupuncture-mediated inhibition of the increase in α-syn, may be responsible for the neuroprotective effects of acupuncture in the SN following damage induced by MPTP.
帕金森病是一种进行性神经退行性疾病，由黑质（SN）中的多巴胺能神经元丧失引起。其特征是形成细胞内路易体，主要由蛋白α-突触核蛋白（α-syn）和营养不良的神经突起组成。在帕金森病动物模型中，针刺刺激可导致 SN 中的多巴胺能神经元存活增加。我们研究了针刺在抑制与 SN 中多巴胺能细胞丧失相关的 α-syn 表达增加中的作用，该研究使用了慢性 1-甲基-4-苯基-1,2,3,6-四氢吡啶（MPTP）帕金森病小鼠模型。在该模型中，GB34 和 LR3 的针刺刺激可减轻 SN 中酪氨酸羟化酶的减少。此外，针刺刺激可减轻 SN 中α-syn 的增加。针刺刺激还可使 SN 中磷酸化的α-syn 在丝氨酸 129 上的水平与对照组相似。我们的研究结果表明，MPTP 介导的α-syn 增加，以及针刺抑制α-syn 的增加，可能是针刺在 MPTP 诱导的损伤后对 SN 发挥神经保护作用的原因。
