The researchers explore acupuncture and moxibustion improve the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration

Time: 2016-02-02

Source: China's proceedings

Author: yellow sheen

Report from our correspondent (reporter Huang Xin) Shanghai institute of applied physics, Chinese academy of sciences and Shanghai university of traditional Chinese medicine and other cooperation in Parkinson's disease mouse model to explore the molecular mechanism of acupuncture effect. Study found that acupuncture mice leg gb 34 point can be adjusted by the mTOR rely on dopaminergic neurons in the brain of the autophagy pathway, restore the damaged level of autophagy, remove alpha-synuclein accumulate in the brain, and significantly improve their exercise capacity. Relevant results are published in the science report.

The researchers examined the acupuncture in Parkinson's disease model mice brain autophagy related indicators before and after the change. Studies have shown that acupuncture gb 34 point can significantly raise the little mouse dopaminergic neurons in the lysosome membrane protein expression, and fix up of autophagy - lysosomal pathway. Autophagy level increases protein that inhibits Parkinson's iconic pathological alpha-synuclein accumulate within the little mouse. As the level of autophagy, dopaminergic neuron injury in mice, improve the vitality of dopaminergic neurons and exercise behavior ability received a significant boost. Further research indicates that the level of autophagy induced by acupuncture raise does not depend on mTOR pathways. This characteristic different from the commonly used autophagy inducers, as a kind of physical therapy and acupuncture, in order to avoid the side effects of chemical drugs and avoid the blood brain barrier problems in chemical drug delivery has provided a new possibility.