PMID- 28837077 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20180503 LR - 20181113 IS - 1422-0067 (Electronic) IS - 1422-0067 (Linking) VI - 18 IP - 9 DP - 2017 Aug 24 TI - Electroacupuncture Promotes Recovery of Motor Function and Reduces Dopaminergic Neuron Degeneration in Rodent Models of Parkinson's Disease. LID - 10.3390/ijms18091846 [doi] LID - 1846 AB - Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease. The pathological hallmark of PD is a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (SN) pars compacta in the brain, ultimately resulting in severe striatal dopamine deficiency and the development of primary motor symptoms (e.g., resting tremor, bradykinesia) in PD. Acupuncture has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat PD for the control of tremor and pain. Accumulating evidence has shown that using electroacupuncture (EA) as a complementary therapy ameliorates motor symptoms of PD. However, the most appropriate timing for EA intervention and its effect on dopamine neuronal protection remain unclear. Thus, this study used the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-lesioned mouse model (systemic-lesioned by intraperitoneal injection) and the 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP(+))-lesioned rat model (unilateral-lesioned by intra-SN infusion) of PD, to explore the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of EA at the GB34 (Yanglingquan) and LR3 (Taichong) acupoints. We found that EA increased the latency to fall from the accelerating rotarod and improved striatal dopamine levels in the MPTP studies. In the MPP(+) studies, EA inhibited apomorphine induced rotational behavior and locomotor activity, and demonstrated neuroprotective effects via the activation of survival pathways of Akt and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the SN region. In conclusion, we observed that EA treatment reduces motor symptoms of PD and dopaminergic neurodegeneration in rodent models, whether EA is given as a pretreatment or after the initiation of disease symptoms. The results indicate that EA treatment may be an effective therapy for patients with PD. FAU - Lin, Jaung-Geng AU - Lin JG AD - School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan. jglin@mail.cmu.edu.tw. FAU - Chen, Chao-Jung AU - Chen CJ AD - Graduate Institute of Integrated Medicine, College of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan. cjchen@mail.cmu.edu.tw. FAU - Yang, Han-Bin AU - Yang HB AD - Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan. alex23206567@gmail.com. FAU - Chen, Yi-Hung AU - Chen YH AD - Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan. yihungchen@mail.cmu.edu.tw. AD - Department of Photonics and Communication Engineering, Asia University, Taichung 41354, Taiwan. yihungchen@mail.cmu.edu.tw. AD - Research Center for Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan. yihungchen@mail.cmu.edu.tw. FAU - Hung, Shih-Ya AU - Hung SY AD - Graduate Institute of Acupuncture Science, China Medical University, Taichung 40402, Taiwan. shihyahung@mail.cmu.edu.tw. AD - Division of Colorectal Surgery, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 40447, Taiwan. shihyahung@mail.cmu.edu.tw. LA - eng PT - Journal Article DEP - 20170824 PL - Switzerland TA - Int J Mol Sci JT - International journal of molecular sciences JID - 101092791 RN - 0 (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) RN - 9P21XSP91P (1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) RN - EC 2.7.11.1 (Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt) SB - IM MH - 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine/adverse effects MH - Animals MH - Apoptosis MH - Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/metabolism MH - Disease Models, Animal MH - Dopaminergic Neurons/*metabolism/pathology MH - Dyskinesias/*physiopathology/therapy MH - *Electroacupuncture/methods MH - Mice MH - Motor Activity MH - Parkinson Disease/*pathology/*physiopathology/therapy MH - Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism MH - Rats MH - Substantia Nigra/metabolism/pathology/physiopathology PMC - PMC5618495 OTO - NOTNLM OT - Parkinson's disease OT - dopamine OT - electroacupuncture OT - motor function OT - neuroprotection COIS- The authors declare no conflict of interest. EDAT- 2017/08/25 06:00 MHDA- 2018/05/04 06:00 PMCR- 2017/09/01 CRDT- 2017/08/25 06:00 PHST- 2017/07/25 00:00 [received] PHST- 2017/08/17 00:00 [revised] PHST- 2017/08/18 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2017/08/25 06:00 [entrez] PHST- 2017/08/25 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2018/05/04 06:00 [medline] PHST- 2017/09/01 00:00 [pmc-release] AID - ijms18091846 [pii] AID - ijms-18-01846 [pii] AID - 10.3390/ijms18091846 [doi] PST - epublish SO - Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Aug 24;18(9):1846. doi: 10.3390/ijms18091846.