We cooperated with Shanghai Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Applied Sciences, Shanghai School of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, and Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion of Longhua Hospital to study a mouse model of Parkinson's disease. The molecular mechanism of acupuncture. Studies have shown that acupuncture regulates the autophagy pathway of dopaminergic neurons in the brain through a non-mTOR-dependent pathway at the midpoint of the Yangtze River in the mouse leg, thereby restoring the damaged autophagy (autophagy) level and was found to clear the α-synapse Nuclear protein (α-synuclein) accumulates in the brain and significantly improves its exercise capacity. Related research papers recently published in "Scientificeports" (Scientificeports) a study on TOR that has nothing to do with acupuncture and promotes autophagy clearance of lectin protein.
Acupuncture has a history of thousands of years in Japan, and aims to prevent and treat diseases by performing acupuncture at a specific time. At present, acupuncture and moxibustion are increasingly recognized in the international medical community, and the study of its molecular mechanism has also attracted widespread attention. For example, American researchers discovered the molecular mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia and electroacupuncture anti-inflammatory (Goldman et al., Natureeuroscience, 2010, 13, 883; Torres-Rosasetal. Nature Medicine, 2014, 20, 291). Neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease and other symptoms) are one of the main threats to humans. Acupuncture has a significant effect on relieving symptoms, but its molecular mechanism is still unclear. Autophagy is a key process of material turnover in eukaryotic cells and is highly conserved in evolution. Studies have shown that damage to the autophagy pathway is related to the development and development of many diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases. In recent years, some studies have shown that exercise and mechanical stimulation play a role in regulating the level of autophagy in cells and in vivo (for example, Heetal. Nature, 2012, 481, 511).
Inspired by this, Shanghai Institute of Physics researchers Fang Chunhai, Fu Jun, Sanyanghong associate researcher, and Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine professors Wu Fangqian and Peijian used acupuncture as a special mechanical stimulus to regulate. A cooperative research group has been established to investigate whether it is feasible. The level of autophagy in the human body plays a role in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Tian Tian and other researchers studied changes in brain autophagy-related indexes before and after acupuncture in Parkinson's disease model mice. Studies have shown that acupuncture at Yanglingquan point can significantly up-regulate the expression of lysosomal membrane protein of dopaminergic neurons in the mouse brain and repair the blockade of autophagy lysosomal pathway. The upregulation of autophagy inhibits the accumulation of α-synuclein in the mouse brain, which is a pathological protein of Parkinson's disease. The restoration of autophagy level improved the damage of dopaminergic neurons in mice, and significantly improved the vitality and movement behavior of dopaminergic neurons. Further studies have shown that this up-regulation of autophagy caused by acupuncture has nothing to do with the mTOR pathway. This function is different from the commonly used autophagy inducers (rapamycin, rapamycin, etc.). Acupuncture as a physical therapy can avoid the side effects of chemicals and cause blood-brain barrier problems during chemical delivery. It provides a new solution.
Therefore, this study not only explored the molecular mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion in improving neurodegenerative diseases from the perspective of autophagy, but also provided useful ideas for the application of acupuncture in neurodegenerative diseases and aging.