Electro-acupuncture improves behavior and upregulates GDNF mRNA in MFB transected rats.
Low and high frequency electro-acupuncture (EA) stimulation was used in rats that had been lesioned by medial forebrain bundle transection. Behavioral tests showed that both low and high frequency EA stimulation significantly reduced the amphetamine-induced rotation 2 weeks after the lesion but only high frequency EA improved the rotational behavior at 4 weeks. Analysis of the dopamine content in the striatum did not show any significant change after EA. In situ hybridization showed that high frequency EA stimulation up-regulated the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) mRNA in both sides of the globus pallidus, while low frequency EA only affected the unlesioned side. It suggests that the retrograde nourishment of GDNF to the dopaminergic neurons and the balanced activity of different nuclei in the basal ganglia circuit after EA may contribute to the behavioral improvement in these rats, which might be the factors that underlie the effectiveness of EA in the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
Liang
Xi-Bin
XB
Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, USA.
Luo
Yong
Y
Liu
Xian-Yu
XY
Lu
Jun
J
Li
Feng-Qiao
FQ
Wang
Qian
Q
Wang
Xiao-Min
XM
Han
Ji-Sheng
JS
D000662:Amphetamines / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000633:toxicity; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008474:Medial Forebrain Bundle / Q000293:injuries / Q000378:metabolism*; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012399:Rotation; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000235:genetics
D000662:Amphetamines; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; C495041:Gdnf protein, rat; D051100:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004298:Dopamine