Combined treatment with acupuncture reduces effective dose and alleviates adverse effect of l-dopa by normalizing Parkinson's disease-induced neurochemical imbalance

Brain Res. 2013 Dec 7. pii: S0006-8993(13)01524-2. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres. 2013.11.28

Kim SN1, Doo AR2, Park JY2, Choo HJ3, Shim I2, Park JJ4, Chae Y1, Lee B5, Lee H1, Park HJ6

Abstract

This study first showed the behavioural benefits of novel combination therapy of l-dopa with acupuncture on Parkinson's disease, and its underlying mechanisms within basal ganglia. The previous study reported that acupuncture may improve the motor function of a Parkinson's disease (PD) mouse model by increasing the dopamine efflux and turnover ratio of dopamine. Hence, we hypothesised that combining l-dopa with acupuncture would have a behavioural benefit for those with PD. We performed unilateral injections of 6-OHDA into the striatum of C57Bl/6 mice to model hemi-Parkinsonian attributes. To test motor function and dyskinetic anomalies, we examined cylinder behaviour and abnormal involuntary movement (AIM), respectively. 

We found that (1) a 50% reduced dose of l-dopa (7.5mg/kg) combined with acupuncture showed an improvement in motor function that was comparable to mice given the standard dose of l-dopa treatment (15mg/kg) only, and that (2) the combination treatment (l-dopa +acupuncture) was significantly superior in reducing AIM scores when equivalent doses of l-dopa were used. The combination treatment also significantly reduces the abnormal increase of GABA contents in the substantia nigra compared to the standard l-dopa treatment. Furthermore, abnormal expression of FosB, the immediate early gene of l-dopa induced dyskinesia (LID), was mitigated in the striatum by the combination treatment. 

All of these results indicate that acupuncture enhances the benefits of l-dopa on motor function with reduced dose of l-dopa and alleviating LID by normalising neurochemical imbalance within the basal ganglia.

© 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V.