[Study on the mechanism of electroacupuncture scalp point penetration therapy in action on apoptosis in the Parkinson's disease rat model].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture scalp point penetration therapy in treatment of the Parkinson's disease (PD).


METHODS
Forty Wistar rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a sham-operation group, a model group and an electroacupuncture (EA) group. 6-OHDA was injected into the left striatum to make lateralization PD rat model. Acupuncture at "Baihui" (GV 20)-through-"Taiyang" (EX-HN 5), once each day, 6 days constituting one course. Immunohistochemical method was used to observe the facio-density and the integral optical density of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the left substantia nigra, and TUNEL method was used to observe the apoptotic amount, and high performance liquid chromatography was used to observe DA contents of the left striatum in each group.


RESULTS
As compared with the model group, in the acupuncture group, the facio-density and the integral optical density in the left substantia nigra increased significantly (P < 0.05), the amount of apoptosis decreased significantly (P < 0.05), and the content of striatum DA increased significantly (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
EA scalp point-through-point therapy may enhance BDNF protein expression level in the substantia nigra to decrease the amount of apoptosis in the PD model rat.
Wang
Shun
S
Department of Acup-Moxibustion, Heilongjiang Academy of TCM, Harbin 150036, China. hljwang@yahoo.com.cn
Jiang
Hua
H
Qu
Long
L
D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D016627:Oxidopamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity; D010302:Parkinson Disease, Secondary / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000628:therapy*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012535:Scalp / Q000473:pathology; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D016627:Oxidopamine