title: Effect of acupuncture on 6-hydroxydopamine-induced nigrostratal dopaminergic neuronal cell death in rats.
abstract: In this study, we investigated the effect of acupuncture at the Zusanli acupoint (ST36) on the nigrostriatal dopaminergic neuronal cell death in the rats with Parkinson's disease. Two weeks after unilateral injection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into the striatum, an apomorphine-induced rotational behavior test showed significant rotational asymmetry in the rats with Parkinson's disease. Immunostaining for tyrosine hydroxylase demonstrated a dopaminergic neuronal loss in the substantia nigra and dopaminergic fiber loss in the striatum. Acupuncture at the ST36 for 14 days significantly inhibited rotational asymmetry in the rats with Parkinson's disease, and also protected against 6-OHDA-induced nigrostriatal dopaminergic neuronal loss. These effects of acupuncture were not observed for the non-acupoint (hip) acupuncture. The present study shows that acupuncture at the ST36 acupoint can be used as a useful strategy for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Oriental Medical Hospital, College of Oriental Medicine, Kyungwon University, #20-8 Songpa-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul 138-170, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yeung-Kee
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hyung-Ho
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Yun-Kyung
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Hee-Hyuk
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Seung-Moo
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Chang-Ju
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D026881:Acupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D018663:Adrenergic Agents; D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D016923:Cell Death / Q000187:drug effects; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D016627:Oxidopamine; D010302:Parkinson Disease, Secondary / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018663:Adrenergic Agents; D016627:Oxidopamine; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D001058:Apomorphine; D004298:Dopamine