Huang Teng-I, Hsieh Ching-Liang
Department of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40447, Taiwan.
Chinese Medicine Research Center, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan.
Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021 Apr 26;2021:6624976. doi: 10.1155/2021/6624976. eCollection 2021.
Oxidative stress is responsible for the pathogeneses of various diseases. Mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired DNA repair, and cellular damage followed by oxidative stress contribute to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer disease (AD) and Parkinson disease (PD). Acupuncture is a traditional therapy that has been practiced for >3000 years in Asia. Many studies have demonstrated that acupuncture has notable antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic effects. However, the exact mechanism remains unclear. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) is crucial in regulating the redox equilibrium. Activated Nfr2 translocates into the nucleus, binds to the antioxidant response element (ARE), and initiates antioxidative enzyme transcription. In this review, we demonstrated the effects of acupuncture on oxidative stress amelioration in AD and PD animal models through Nrf2/ARE pathway activation and Nrf2/ARE-related pathway regulation. Thus, acupuncture could be a therapeutic option for AD and PD.
氧化应激是多种疾病发病机制的原因。氧化应激导致的线粒体功能障碍、DNA修复受损和细胞损伤会引发神经退行性疾病，如阿尔茨海默病（AD）和帕金森病（PD）。针灸是一种在亚洲已应用了3000多年的传统疗法。许多研究表明，针灸具有显著的抗氧化、抗炎和抗凋亡作用。然而，确切机制仍不清楚。核因子红细胞2相关因子（Nrf2）在调节氧化还原平衡中起关键作用。激活的Nfr2易位进入细胞核，与抗氧化反应元件（ARE）结合，并启动抗氧化酶转录。在本综述中，我们通过激活Nrf2/ARE途径和调节Nrf2/ARE相关途径，证明了针灸对AD和PD动物模型氧化应激改善的作用。因此，针灸可能是AD和PD的一种治疗选择。
