Mechanisms of the Ping-wei-san plus herbal decoction against Parkinson's disease: Multiomics analyses.

Introduction: Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder involving loss of dopaminergic neurons. Multiple studies implicate the microbiota-gut-brain axis in Parkinson's disease pathophysiology. Ping-wei-san plus Herbal Decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine composition with beneficial effects in Parkinson's disease, may have a complex array of actions. Here we sought to determine whether gut microbiota and metabolic pathways are involved in Ping-wei-san plus herbal therapy for Parkinson's disease and to identify functional pathways to guide research. Methods and results: The model of Parkinson's disease were induced with the rotenone. The Ping-wei-san plus group received the PWP herbal decoction for 90 days, after which all groups were analyzed experimentally. PWP herbal treatment improved motor behavior and emotional performance, balanced gut microbiota, and benefited dietary metabolism. Tandem Mass Tags mass spectrometry identified many differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the substantia nigra and duodenum in the PWP group, and these DEPs were enriched in pathways such as those involving cAMP signaling, glutamatergic synapses, dopaminergic synapses, and ribosome-rich functions in the gut. The PWP group showed increases in recombinant tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase 3, and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, leucine rich repeat, and pyrin domain containing proteins 6 in the substantia nigra and decreased parkin, gasdermin D, recombinant tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase 3, and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, leucine rich repeat and pyrin domain containing proteins 6 in the duodenum. Discussion: In conclusion, this study combined gut microbiota, metabolomics, and proteomics to evaluate the mechanism of action of Ping-wei-san plus on Parkinson's disease and revealed that PWP herbal treatment modulated gut microbiota, altered metabolite biological pathways, and affected functional pathway protein expression in Parkinson's disease mice, resulting in therapeutic effects.

Acupuncture inhibits oxidative stress and rotational behavior in 6-hydroxydopamine lesioned rat.

Increasing evidence suggests the beneficial effects of acupuncture on Parkinson's disease (PD). Although clinical evidence for the acupuncture anti-Parkinson's disease effect has been demonstrated, the precise mechanism still remains elusive. It has been suggested a relationship between PD and reactive oxygen species (ROS) can result in neurodegeneration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the status of oxidative stress, as well as the antioxidant enzyme response, and the role of acupuncture stimulation at GB34 (Yanglingquan), LR3 (Taichong), ST36 (Zusanli) and SP10 (Xuehai) acupoints on regulating oxidative stress in the nigrostriatal system in the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesioned rat. Two weeks after unilateral injection of 6-OHDA into the left medial forebrain bundle (MFB), an apomorphine induced rotational behavior test was performed. The levels of enzymatic, viz., superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), and nonenzymatic, viz., reduced glutathione (GSH), and the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the nigrostriatal system were measured to assess the oxidative stress status. Brain MDA levels significantly increased, while GSH levels were decreased in impaired groups with 6-OHDA injection only, accompanied by a marked reduction in the level of SOD and GSH-Px. The levels of oxidative stress related parameters except CAT, as well as the rotational asymmetry, were reversed by acupuncture stimulation. These results showed that acupuncture treatment displayed antioxidative and/or neuroprotective properties in the 6-OHDA lesioned rat and these protective properties might be mediated, at least in part, by involving regulation of the antioxidant defense system.

[Effect of the oil from ganoderma lucidum spores on pathological changes in the substantia nigra and behaviors of MPTP-treated mice].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the oil from the spores of ganoderma lucidum, a rare Chinese herb, on the behaviors and pathological changes in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) in mouse models of Parkinson's disease (PD) induced by MPTP. METHODS: C57BL mice were divided into 3 groups, and the ganoderma spores oil + MPTP group were treated with ganoderma spores oil for 8 days, together with subcutaneous injection of MPTP (30 mg/kg) starting on the third day for 6 days; MPTP group were pretreated with normal saline before subcutaneous MPTP injection, and the normal control group received pretreatment with normal saline before subcutaneous normal saline injection. The behavioral changes of the mice in different groups were observed by pole test, dopamine and its metabolic products in the striatum determined by HPLC, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) positive cells detected by immunofluorescence method, and expression of TH protein by Western blotting. RESULTS: The mice in the ganoderma spores oil + MPTP group presented significantly less involuntary movement of the limbs in the pole test than the mice in MPTP group. The levels of dopamine and DOPAC in the striatum of ganoderma spores oil-treated mice were increased as compared with those in MPTP group. The number of surviving TH-positive neurons in SNpc of mice in ganoderma spores oil + MPTP group was significantly greater than that in MPTP group, with also significantly increased TH protein expression. CONCLUSION: Ganoderma spores oil has neuroprotective effect for preventing doparminergic neuron from impairment by MPTP.