ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Neurosci.
Sec. Gut-Brain Axis
This article is part of the Research TopicDecoding the Gut-Brain Axis: Implications for Neurodegenerative Disease TherapiesView all 5 articles
Electroacupuncture Exerts Neuroprotective Effects and Alters Gut Microbiota in a MPTP-Induced Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease
Provisionally accepted
- 1Longhua Hospital Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- 2Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou, China
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Objective: To investigate the therapeutic mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease (PD) induced by 1-Methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). Methods: Motor functions were evaluated using open field test and pole tests. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression in the substantia nigra and striatum was detected by immunohistochemistry. Intestinal barrier integrity was assessed via immunofluorescence staining of tight junction proteins ZO-1 and Occludin. Gut microbiota composition was analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing. Results: EA treatment significantly improved motor deficits, restored TH expression in nigrostriatal regions, and enhanced colonic ZO-1 and Occludin levels. EA reversed MPTP-induced dysbiosis, notably normalizing the abundances of Dubosiella, Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Desulfovibrio, Bacteroides, Allobaculum, and Parasutterella. Microbial co-occurrence network analysis revealed that EA simplified hyperconnected interactions and improved network stability. Conclusion: EA treatment attenuated PD progression, which was associated with the remodeling of gut microbiota structure and restoration of microbial network stability. The concomitant protection of dopaminergic function suggests a potential link mediated by the gut–brain axis.
Keywords: 16S rRNA, Electroacupuncture, Gut Microbiota, MPTP, Parkinson's disease
Received: 10 Sep 2025; Accepted: 15 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wu, Dong, Ying, Chen, Wang, Fan, Yin and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ping Yin
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