Figure 2.
Effect of acupuncture stimulation on 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine- (MPTP-) induced dopaminergic neuronal death and behavioral dysfunction. (a) Tyrosine hydroxylase- (TH-) specific immunohistochemical staining in the substantia nigra (SN) and striatum (ST). (b) The number of TH-positive cells in the SN. (c) The optical density of TH-positive neurons in the ST. (d) The result of the pole test. Acupuncture stimulation at GB34 suppresses MPTP-induced dopaminergic neuronal death in the SN and the ST and alleviates the MPTP-induced behavioral dysfunctions. Scale bar = 200 µm. Data are shown as the mean ± standard error of the mean. ∗P < 0.05, ∗∗P < 0.01, and ∗∗∗P < 0.001 versus saline group, ##P < 0.01 and ###P < 0.001 versus the MPTP group, and †P < 0.05 versus HT7 group.