title: High frequency electro-acupuncture enhances striatum DAT and D1 receptor expression, but decreases D2 receptor level in 6-OHDA lesioned rats.
abstract: The direct effects of electro-acupuncture (EA) on the dopaminergic neurotransmitter system in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients remain elusive. In the present study, 0, 2 or 100Hz EA was applied to acupoints Sanyinjiao (SP6), Yanglingquan (GB34) and Zusanli (ST36) in a rat model unilaterally lesioned by 6-hydroxydopamine. Rotational behavior tests were performed and the animals were then decapitated. Levels of striatal dopamine (DA), dopamine transporter, and D1- and D2-like DA receptors were subsequently evaluated. EA at 100 Hz was shown to significantly enhance survival of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra (52.10 ± 11.41% of the level on the non-lesioned rats vs. 21.22 ± 5.52% in the non-EA group, P<0.05) and reduce motor deficits (207.80 ± 31.14 vs. 476.11 ± 68.80 turns/30 min, P<0.05), whereas it only slightly restored the 6-hydroxydopamine-induced loss of striatal DA (P>0.05 vs. the non-EA group). There was a 253.78% increase in dopamine transporter protein expression in the striatum in the 100 Hz EA group (P<0.05 vs. the non-EA group). Moreover, high frequency EA induced increases in striatal D1-like receptor mRNA and protein levels of 81.88% and 62.62%, respectively (P<0.001 and P<0.05 vs. the non-EA group). However, the D2-like DA receptor up-regulation observed in the non-EA group was suppressed in high frequency group (P>0.05 vs. the sham operation group). These findings suggest that high-frequency EA might work by acting on presynaptic dopamine transporter and postsynaptic dopamine receptors simultaneously to achieve a therapeutic effect in PD patients and models. This might shed some light on the mechanism by which EA affects the DA neurotransmitter system.
authors.affiliation: Nuclear Medicine Department of The 1st Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiao Tong University, China.
authors.forename: Gao
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rui
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guangjian
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yong
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jie
authors.forename: Cui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yanchao
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fen
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001058:Apomorphine; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D008297:Male; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016627:Oxidopamine / Q000633:toxicity; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013565:Sympatholytics / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017447:Receptors, Dopamine D1; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2; D013565:Sympatholytics; D016627:Oxidopamine; D001058:Apomorphine; D004298:Dopamine