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Objective: To investigate the effects of different acupuncture on the content of glial cell derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in substantia nigra, stomach and colon of rats with Parkinson's gastrointestinal dysfunction. Methods: The gastrointestinal dysfunction model of PD was established by injecting rotenone solution and detecting with apmorphine induction test. According to random number table method, 60 rats were divided into 6 groups: blank group, sham-operated group, model group, western medicine group, Tiaoshen Changzhi group and ordinary acupuncture group. The rats were treated for 2 weeks. The changes of body weight were observed, fecal moisture content, gastric content residual rate and intestinal propelling rate were detected, and GDNF content in substantia nigra, stomach and colon were detected by immunohistochemistry and ELISA. Results: Body weight and fecal water content: the western medicine group and the two acupuncture groups were significantly increased compared with the model group (P<0.01). The improvement degree in the western medicine group was better than that in the Tiaoshen Changzhi group (P<0.05), and the improvement degree in the Tiaoshen Changzhi group was better than in the ordinary acupuncture group (P<0.05). In terms of intestinal propulsion rate and gastric contents residual rate, there were significant differences between the western medicine group and the two acupuncture groups and model group (P<0.01). The improvement of the western medicine group was better than that of Tiaoshen Changzhi group (P<0.05), the Tiaoshen Changzhi group was better than the ordinary group (P<0.05). The changes of GDNF in substantia nigra, stomach and colon of midbrain were as follows: the contents of GDNF in blank group and sham group were higher than the model group (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the content of the western medicine group and the two acupuncture groups increased (P<0.01). The efficacy of the western medicine group was better than that of the Tiaoshen Changzhi group (P<0.05), and the Tiaoshen Changzhi group was better than that of the conventional acupuncture group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Acupuncture treatment increased the content of GDNF in substantia nigra, stomach and colon of rats with PD gastrointestinal dysfunction, and the Tiaoshen Changzhi group was better than the conventional group and close to the western medicine group. One of the mechanisms of Tiaoshen Changzhi acupuncture in the treatment of gastrointestinal dysfunction of PD may be due to the enhancement of GDNF in the brain, stomach and colon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The protective effect of an iridoid catalpol extracted and purified from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Rehmannia glutinosa on the neuronal degeneration of nigral-striatal dopaminergic pathway was studied in a chronic 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)/probenecid C57BL/6 mouse model and in 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridimium (MPP+) intoxicated cultured mesencephalic neurons. Rotarod performance revealed that the locomotor ability of mice was significantly impaired after completion of model production and maintained thereafter for at least 4 weeks. Catalpol orally administered for 8 weeks (starting from the second week of model production) dose dependently improved the locomotor ability. HPLC revealed that catalpol significantly elevated striatal dopamine levels without changing the metabolite/dopamine ratios. Nor did it bind to dopamine receptors. Therefore it is unlikely that catalpol resembles any of the known compounds for treating Parkinsonism. Instead, catalpol dose dependently raised the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) neuron number in substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), the striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) density and the striatal glial cell derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) protein level. Linear regression revealed that both the TH neuron number and DAT density were positively correlated to the GDNF level. In the cultured mesencephalic neurons, MPP+ decreased the dopaminergic neuron number and shortened the neurite length, whereas catalpol showed protective effect dose dependently. Furthermore, the expression of GDNF mRNA was up-regulated by catalpol to a peak nearly double of normal control in neurons intoxicated with MPP+ for 24 h but not in normal neurons. The GDNF receptor tyrosine kinase RET inhibitor 4-amino-5-(4-methyphenyl)-7-(t-butyl)-pyrazolo-[3,4-d]pyrimidine (PP1) abolished the protective effect of catalpol either partially (TH positive neuron number) or completely (neurite length). Taken together, catalpol improves locomotor ability by attenuating the neuronal degeneration of nigral-striatal dopaminergic pathway, and this attenuation is at least partially through elevating the striatal GDNF expression. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]