Objective: To explore the mechanism of acupuncture in treatment of Parkinson's disease.
Methods: Fifty Wistar rats were randomly divided into a normal control group, a sham-operation control group, a model group, a Fengfu-Taichong group and a Shuanggu Yitong group. The hemilateral rotation Parkinson's disease model was prepared by micro-injection of 6-hydroxyl-dopamine into the right striatum. Effects of acupuncture at "Fengfu" (GV 16), "Taichong" (LR 3) hy Shoanggu Yitong needling method on proliferation and differentiation of nerve stem cells in the Parkinson's disease model rat were compared. Proliferation and numher changes of the nerve stem cells in the suhstantia nigra and the striatum were investigated with immunohistochemical method, and the number of nerve stem cells transforming neurons were observed with immunohistochemical double-labeling method.
Results: In the two acupuncture groups, the proliferative cells in the substantia nigra and thestriatum of the destroyed side increased significantly (P < 0.01), and the number of nerve stem cells and the number of transformed neurons in the destroyed side of the substantia nigra and the striatum increased significantly only in the Shuanggu Yitong group (P < 0.01).
Conclusion: Shuanggu Yitong needling method can induce proliferation and differentiation of nerve stem cells in the substantia nigra and the striatum regions in the Parkinson's disease model rat.