The central role of hypothalamic circuits for anti-Parkinsonian effects of acupuncture
Ju-Young Oh, Hyowon Lee, Sun-Young Jang, Hyunjin Kim, Geunhong Park, Almas Serikov, Jae-Hwan Jang, Junyeop Kim, Seulkee Yang, Moonsun Sa, Sung Eun Lee, Young-Eun Han, Tae-Yeon Hwang, Sharon Jiyoon Jung, Hee Young Kim, Seung Eun Lee, Soo-Jin Oh, Jeongjin Kim, Jongpil Kim, Thomas J. McHugh, C. Justin Lee, Min-Ho Nam, Hi-Joon Park · FENS Forum 2024
Despite clinical data stretching over millennia, the neurobiological basis of the effectiveness of acupuncture in central nervous system disorders has remained elusive. In this study, using an established model of acupuncture treatment in Parkinson’s disease (PD) mice, we show that peripheral acupuncture stimulation activates hypothalamic melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons via nerve conduction. Moreover, we identify two distinct neural pathways originating from anatomically and electrophysiologically distinct MCH neuronal subpopulations, projecting to the substantia nigra and hippocam
ePoster · Neuroscience