scholarly journals Moxibustion Protects Dopaminergic Neurons in Parkinson’s Disease through Antiferroptosis

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Zifeng Huang ◽  
Wenwen Si ◽  
Xinrong Li ◽  
Shanyu Ye ◽  
Xuelei Liu ◽  
...  

Ferroptosis is associated with neural degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, how to control the level of ferroptosis in PD remains unclear. Clinically, moxibustion has been used to treat PD and has an apparent therapeutic effect on improving the motor symptoms of PD. In the present study, the PD rat model was constructed by two-point stereotactic 6-hydroxydopamine injection. Then, moxibustion was used to treat the PD rats. The expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and Ferritin Heavy Chain 1 (FTH1), the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the morphology of mitochondrial were detected to evaluate the level of ferroptosis. The results showed that moxibustion treatment of Shi’s moxa sticks could reduce the behavioral score, alleviate the level of ferroptosis, decrease mitochondrial damage, and improve dopaminergic neuron survival. In conclusion, the present study results indicated that Shi’s moxa sticks could effectively suppress the level of ferroptosis, thereby improving the survival of dopaminergic neurons in the SNpc of PD rats, which may provide a promising complementary and alternative therapy for PD patients.

Synapse ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. e22077 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Vetel ◽  
Sophie Sérrière ◽  
Johnny Vercouillie ◽  
Jackie Vergote ◽  
Gabrielle Chicheri ◽  
...  

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tahira Farooqui ◽  
Akhlaq A. Farooqui

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative movement disorder of unknown etiology. PD is characterized by the progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, depletion of dopamine in the striatum, abnormal mitochondrial and proteasomal functions, and accumulation ofα-synuclein that may be closely associated with pathological and clinical abnormalities. Increasing evidence indicates that both oxidative stress and inflammation may play a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of PD. Oxidative stress is characterized by increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and depletion of glutathione. Lipid mediators for oxidative stress include 4-hydroxynonenal, isoprostanes, isofurans, isoketals, neuroprostanes, and neurofurans. Neuroinflammation is characterized by activated microglial cells that generate proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-αand IL-1β. Proinflammatory lipid mediators include prostaglandins and platelet activating factor, together with cytokines may play a prominent role in mediating the progressive neurodegeneration in PD.


Biomolecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jackson Fink ◽  
Heather Pathak ◽  
John Smith ◽  
Cindy Achat-Mendes ◽  
Robert L. Haining

Neuromelanin, the polymeric form of dopamine which accumulates in aging neuronal tissue, is increasingly recognized as a functional and critical component of a healthy and active adult human brain. Notorious in plant and insect literature for their ability to bind and retain amines for long periods of time, catecholamine polymers known colloquially as ‘melanins’ are nevertheless curiously absent from most textbooks regarding biochemistry, neuroscience, and evolution. Recent research has brought attention to the brain pigment due to its possible role in neurodegeneration. This linkage is best illustrated by Parkinson’s disease, which is characterized by the loss of pigmented dopaminergic neurons and the ‘white brain’ pathological state. As such, the ability to determine the binding affinity of neurotoxic agents, as well as any potential specific endogenous ligands to neuromelanin are of interest and potential value. Neuromelanin has been shown to have saturable binding interactions with nicotine as monitored by a fluorimeter. This interaction provides a signal to allow for a competition-binding assay with target molecules which do not themselves produce signal. The current report establishes the viability of this competition assay toward three compounds with central relevance to Parkinson’s disease. The Kd of binding toward neuromelanin by methyl-phenyl-pyridinium ion (MPP+), dopamine, and 6-hydroxydopamine were found to be 1 mM, 0.05 mM, and 0.1 mM, respectively in the current study. In addition, we demonstrate that 6-hydroxydopamine polymerizes to form neuromelanin granules in cultured dopaminergic neurons that treated with 2,4,5-trihydroxy-l-phenylalanine. Immunohistochemical analysis using fluor-tagged anti-dopamine antibodies suggests that the incorporation of 6-hydroxydopamine (following internalization and decarboxylation analogous to levodopa and dopamine) alters the localized distribution of bound dopamine in these cells.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Lu ◽  
Xuelei Liu ◽  
Ye Tian ◽  
Hang Li ◽  
Zhenxing Ren ◽  
...  

The objective of this study was to explore the neuroprotective effect of moxibustion on rats with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and its mechanism. A Parkinson’s disease model was established in rats using a two-point stereotactic 6-hydroxydopamine injection in the right substantia nigra (SN) and ventral tegmental area. The rats received moxibustion at the Baihui (GV20) and Sishencong (EX-HN1) acupoints for 20 minutes, six times a week, for 6 weeks. The right SN tissue was histologically and immunohistochemically examined. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified through RNA sequencing. In addition, the levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), and ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1) in SN were measured. In comparison to the model group, the moxibustion group showed a significantly greater TH immunoreactivity and a higher behavioural score. In particular, moxibustion led to an increase in the number and morphological stability of SN neural cells. The functional pathway analysis showed that DEGs are closely related to the ferroptosis pathway. GPX4 and FTH1 in the SN were significantly overexpressed in the moxibustion-treated rats with PD. Moxibustion can effectively reduce the death of SN neurons, decrease the occurrence of ferroptosis, and increase the TH activity to protect the neurons in rats with PD. The protective mechanism may be associated with suppression of the ferroptosis.


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