Evidence Details for Snca
PMID Title Journal Year Abstract
26016857 Electroacupuncture remediates glial dysfunction and ameliorates neurodegeneration in the astrocytic alpha-synuclein mutant mouse model. J Neuroinflammation. 2015 May 28;12:103. doi: 10.1186/s12974-015-0302-z. 2015 May 28 BACKGROUND: The acupuncture or electroacupuncture (EA) shows the therapeutic effect on various neurodegenerative diseases. This effect was thought to be partially achieved by its ability to alleviate existing neuroinflammation and glial dysfunction. In this study, we systematically investigated the effect of EA on abnormal neurochemical changes and motor symptoms in a mouse neurodegenerative disease model. METHODS: The transgenic mouse which expresses a mutant alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) protein, A53T alpha-syn, in brain astrocytic cells was used. These mice exhibit extensive neuroinflammatory and motor phenotypes of neurodegenerative disorders. In this study, the effects of EA on these phenotypic changes were examined in these mice. RESULTS: EA improved the movement detected in multiple motor tests in A53T mutant mice. At the cellular level, EA significantly reduced the activation of microglia and prevented the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain and motor neurons in the spinal cord. At the molecular level, EA suppressed the abnormal elevation of proinflammatory factors (tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1beta) in the striatum and midbrain of A53T mice. In contrast, EA increased striatal and midbrain expression of a transcription factor, nuclear factor E2-related factor 2, and its downstream antioxidants (heme oxygenase-1 and glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier subunits). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that EA possesses the ability to ameliorate mutant alpha-syn-induced motor abnormalities. This ability may be due to that EA enhances both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities and suppresses aberrant glial activation in the diseased sites of brains."

Evidence Sentence: The transgenic mouse which expresses a mutant alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) protein, A53T alpha-syn, in brain astrocytic cells was used.
Evidence Sentence: These results suggest that EA possesses the ability to ameliorate mutant alpha-syn-induced motor abnormalities.
Evidence Sentence: A53T alpha-syn mice were administered with DOX from embryonic stages (E0) to P21 to block the developmental expression of A53T alpha-syn (Fig.
Evidence Sentence: The acceleration of the motor disability after 2 months might be due to substantial expression of alpha-syn in astrocytes.
Evidence Sentence: EA by targeting overexpressed alpha-syn could therefore exert its therapeutic effects (see below).
Evidence Sentence: EA alleviated astrocytic alpha-syn expression in A53T mice
Evidence Sentence: To observe the influence of EA on the aggregation of alpha-syn, expression of A53T alpha-syn in the midbrain and striatum was investigated in this study.
Evidence Sentence: Abundant expression of A53T alpha-syn was seen in the GFAP-positive astrocytes as demonstrated by co-staining of alpha-syn with GFAP in the SN (Fig.
Evidence Sentence: Western blots also showed that the level of exogenous alpha-syn was gradually increased in the midbrain and striatum over different time points (1 month, 2 month, and symptomatic time) in A53T mice, while alpha-syn immunoreactivity was absent in these regions in nTg control mice (Fig.
Evidence Sentence: After 4 weeks of 100 Hz EA treatment, the level of alpha-syn proteins in the midbrain of A53T mice became significantly lower than that in untreated A53T mice (Fig.
Evidence Sentence: In contrast to proteins, EA did not affect alpha-syn mRNA expression in the midbrain (Fig.
Evidence Sentence: In nTg mice with or without EA, no alpha-syn expression at either protein or mRNA levels was observed.
Evidence Sentence: These data suggest that 100 Hz EA, while it did not affect A53T alpha-syn transcription, downregulated alpha-syn protein expression in the midbrain, and striatum of mutant mice.
Evidence Sentence: Astrocytic expression of A53T alpha-syn appeared to disrupt multiple normal functions of astrocytes, resulting in severe astrogliosis throughout the brain and spinal cord.
Evidence Sentence: These results demonstrate the ability of EA to inhibit microglial activation and neuroinflammation induced by exogenous expression of A53T alpha-syn in astrocytes.
Evidence Sentence: Electroacupuncture remediates glial dysfunction and ameliorates neurodegeneration in the astrocytic alpha-synuclein mutant mouse model
Evidence Sentence: The transgenic mouse which expresses a mutant alpha-synuclein (alpha-syn) protein, A53T alpha-syn, in brain astrocytic cells was used.