Guo Lei, Hu Haiming, Jiang Nan, Yang Huabing, Sun Xiongjie, Xia Hui, Ma Jun, Liu Hongtao
College of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Huangjiahu West Road 16, Wuhan 430065, China.
College of Acupuncture and Orthopedics, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan 430060, China.
Heliyon. 2024 May 7;10(9):e30819. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30819. eCollection 2024 May 15.
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder commonly accompanied by gut dysfunction. EA has shown anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. Here, we aim to explore whether EA can treat Parkinson's disease by restoring the intestinal barrier and modulating NLRP3 inflammasome. We applied 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) to establish a PD mouse model and EA at the GV16, LR3, and ST36 for 12 consecutive days. The open-field test results indicated that EA alleviated depression and behavioral defects, upregulated the expressions of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and blocked the accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn) in the midbrain. Moreover, EA blocked the damage to intestinal tissues of PD mice, indicative of suppressed NLRP3 inflammasome activation and increased gut barrier integrity. Notably, the antibiotic-treated mouse experiment validated that the gut microbiota was critical in alleviating PD dyskinesia and intestinal inflammation by EA. In conclusion, this study suggested that EA exhibited a protective effect against MPTP-induced PD by alleviating behavioral defects, reversing the block of motor dysfunction, and improving the gut barrier by modulating intestinal NLRP3 inflammasome. Above all, this study could provide novel insights into the pathogenesis and therapy of PD.
帕金森病（PD）是一种常伴有肠道功能障碍的神经退行性疾病。电针已显示出抗炎和神经保护作用。在此，我们旨在探讨电针是否能通过恢复肠道屏障和调节NLRP3炎性小体来治疗帕金森病。我们应用1-甲基-4-苯基-1,2,3,6-四氢吡啶（MPTP）建立帕金森病小鼠模型，并在GV16、LR3和ST36穴位连续12天进行电针治疗。旷场试验结果表明，电针可减轻抑郁和行为缺陷，上调酪氨酸羟化酶（TH）和脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）的表达，并阻止中脑α-突触核蛋白（α-syn）的积累。此外，电针可阻止帕金森病小鼠肠道组织的损伤，这表明NLRP3炎性小体激活受到抑制，肠道屏障完整性增加。值得注意的是，抗生素处理小鼠实验证实，肠道微生物群对于电针减轻帕金森病运动障碍和肠道炎症至关重要。总之，本研究表明，电针通过减轻行为缺陷、逆转运动功能障碍的阻滞以及通过调节肠道NLRP3炎性小体改善肠道屏障，对MPTP诱导的帕金森病具有保护作用。最重要的是，本研究可为帕金森病的发病机制和治疗提供新的见解。
