| Evidence Sentence: |
In this study, we found that mechanical stimulation at the acupoint of Yanglingquan (GB34) promoted the autophagic clearance of alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn), a well known aggregation-prone protein closely related to Parkinson's disease (PD), in the substantia nigra par compacta (SNpc) of the brain in a PD mouse model. |
| Evidence Sentence: |
Whereas acupuncture and rapamycin, a chemical mTOR inhibitor, show comparable alpha-syn clearance and therapeutic effects in the PD mouse model, the latter adopts a distinctly different, mTOR-dependent, autophagy induction process. |
| Evidence Sentence: |
We also found that the expression of alpha-syn was significantly increased in the substantia nigra par compacta (SNpc) of the PG mouse brain (Fig. |
| Evidence Sentence: |
Significantly, we found that the expression level of alpha-syn in SNpc was decreased by ~56% in AG, which remained nearly constant in SG (Fig. |
| Evidence Sentence: |
Having established that acupuncture suppresses alpha-syn expression in SNpc, we explored the relationship between the observed alpha-syn clearance and autophagy. |
| Evidence Sentence: |
Significantly, compared with mice in PG, we observed ~37% decrease in the expression level of LC3II and ~20% in LAMP1 on the 4th day in AG, along with over 50% clearance of alpha-syn in SNpc (Fig. |
| Evidence Sentence: |
These data suggest that acupuncture significantly rescues the ALP to enhance the clearance of autophagosomes and the degradation of alpha-syn. |
| Evidence Sentence: |
We further note that the low expression of alpha-syn maintained till the 7th day in AG, suggesting the sustainable effects of acupuncture. |
| Evidence Sentence: |
Also of note, mice in SG did not show apparent ALP restoration or significant alpha-syn clearance, which coincides well with the structural analysis in SNpc. |
| Evidence Sentence: |
Rapamycin enhanced alpha-syn clearance in an m-TOR-dependent pathway |
| Evidence Sentence: |
Having substantiated the acupuncture-induced autophagic clearance of alpha-syn, we next examined the therapeutic effect of acupuncture on the motor function, the number and the activity of DA neurons in mice of PG. |
| Evidence Sentence: |
In this study, we found that mechanical stimulation at the acupoint of Yanglingquan (GB34) promoted the autophagic clearance of alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn), a well known aggregation-prone protein closely related to Parkinson's disease (PD), in the substantia nigra par compacta (SNpc) of the brain in a PD mouse model. |
| Evidence Sentence: |
Acupuncture relieved the accumulation of alpha-synuclein in PD mice |
| Evidence Sentence: |
Acupuncture promoted the autophagic clearance of alpha-synuclein in an m-TOR-independent pathway |