Objective To observe mechanisms of electroacupuncture （EA） on treating Parkinson＇ s disease （PD）. Methods Fifty SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups： a normal control group （Norm）, a sham operation group （Sham）, a model group （Mod） and an electroacupuncture （EA） group. EA at ＂Fengfu＂ （风府 GV16） and ＂Taichong＂ （太冲 LR 3） was applied once daily for 2 weeks in Group EA, and no treatment was given to the animals in the other three groups. PD model was established by using 6-hydroxydopamine. Numbers of tyrosine hydroxylase （TH）, tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α）and interleukin-1 beta （IL-1β） positive reactive cells in substantia nigra （SN） were counted by using immunohistochemical methods. Results The total TH positive neurons in Group Mod were obviously less than those in Group Norm and Group Sham （P〈0.01）, and the numbers of TNF-α and IL-1β positive cells in Group Mod increased more significantly than those in Group Norm, and Group Sham （P〈0.01）. The total TH positive neurons in Group EA were obviously more than those in Group Mod （P〈0.01）, and the numbers of TNF-α and IL-1β positive cells in Group EA were obviously less than those in Group Mod （P〈0.01）, indicating that EA could markedly lower the contents of such pre-inflammatory factors like TNF-α and IL-1β in SN of experimental rats with PD. Conclusion EA may provide its protective functions on dopaminergic neurons by way of alleviating inflammatory reactions in SN of rats with PD.
