Central Role of Hypothalamic Circuits for Acupuncture's Anti-Parkinsonian Effects.

ABSTRACT: Despite clinical data stretching over millennia, the neurobiological basis of the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating diseases of the central nervous system has remained elusive. Here, using an established model of acupuncture treatment in Parkinson's disease (PD) model mice, we show that peripheral acupuncture stimulation activates hypothalamic melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons via nerve conduction. We further identify two separate neural pathways originating from anatomically and electrophysiologically distinct MCH neuronal subpopulations, projecting to the substantia nigra and hippocampus, respectively. Through chemogenetic manipulation specifically targeting these MCH projections, their respective roles in mediating the acupuncture-induced motor recovery and memory impro

SUBMITTER: Oh JY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11578310 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature