Central Role of Hypothalamic Circuits for Acupuncture's Anti‐Parkinsonian Effects
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 improvements following PD onset are demonstrated, as well as the underlying mechanisms mediating recovery from dopaminergic neurodegeneration, reactive gliosis, and impaired hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Collectively, these MCH neurons constitute not only a circuit-based explanation for the therapeutic effectiveness of traditional acupuncture, but also a potential cellular target for treating both motor and non-motor PD symptoms.
Authors
- Hyowon Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7628-1441)
- C. Justin Lee
- Junyeop Kim
- Jae‐Hwan Jang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8422-5183)
- Moonsun Sa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5066-7706)
- Min‐Ho Nam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6191-1268)
- Tae‐Yeon Hwang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5510-0082)
- Seulkee Yang
- Hi‐Joon Park (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0538-2664)
- Jeong-Jin Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3085-3018)
- Geunhong Park
- Ju‐Young Oh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9141-0133)
- Young‐Eun Han
- Sunyoung Jang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8978-7951)
- Thomas J. McHugh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1243-5189)
- Almas Serikov
- Hyun-Jin Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8399-3551)
- Hee Young Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2495-9115)
- Jongpil Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3876-6020)
- Seung Eun Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1511-3262)
- Sharon Jiyoon Jung
- Jeong-Yeon Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-1006-592X)
- Sung‐Eun Lee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7690-9956)
- Soo‐Jin Oh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0900-7386)
Institutions
- Yonsei University (KR)
- Dongguk University (KR)
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science (JP)
- Kyung Hee University (KR)
- Korea Institute of Brain Science (KR)
- Institute for Basic Science (KR)
- Korean Association Of Science and Technology Studies (KR)
- Korea Brain Research Institute (KR)
- Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KR)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Science
- Published
- 2024-08-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202403245
- Citations
- 11
- Primary Topic
- Acupuncture Treatment Research Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 7.88
Funders
- Korea Brain Research Institute
- Korea Institute of Science and Technology
- National Research Foundation of Korea