Electroacupuncture Modulates 5-HT4R-Mediated cAMP/PKA Signaling to Improve Intestinal Motility Disorders in a Thy1- α Syn Parkinson's Mouse Model

Lin Shen; Zhaoqin Wang; Rude Huang; Luyi Wu; Yan Huang; Qin Qi; Rui Zhong; Yiyi Chen; Lingjie Li; Huangan Wu

doi:10.1155/2022/8659462

Electroacupuncture Modulates 5-HT_4R-Mediated cAMP/PKA Signaling to Improve Intestinal Motility Disorders in a Thy1- α Syn Parkinson's Mouse Model

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2022 Oct 28:2022:8659462. doi: 10.1155/2022/8659462. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Lin Shen^{1

2}, Zhaoqin Wang^{1

3}, Rude Huang^{1

4}, Luyi Wu⁵, Yan Huang^{1

4}, Qin Qi^{1

4}, Rui Zhong^{1

4}, Yiyi Chen⁶, Lingjie Li^{1

4}, Huangan Wu^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Shanghai Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
² Community Health Service Center of Malu Town, Jiading District, Shanghai 201801, China.
³ Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Acupuncture Mechanism and Acupoint Function, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Immunological Effects, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
⁵ Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
⁶ Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.

Abstract

Constipation is one of the most common nonmotor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and often occurs before motor symptoms. Electroacupuncture effectively improves the symptoms of constipation in patients with PD. In the present study, we used thymus cell antigen 1-α-synuclein (Thy1-αSyn) transgenic mice as a model of intestinal motility disorders in PD to determine the therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture and the underlying mechanisms. Electroacupuncture significantly improved fecal excretion and accelerated the rate of small-intestinal propulsion in Thy1-αSyn mice by upregulating the serotonin concentration and the expression of the serotonin 4 receptor. Consequently, the downstream cyclic AMP/protein kinase A (cAMP/PKA) pathway was affected, and to upregulate and downregulate, the expression of substance P was upregulated, and the expression of calcitonin gene-related peptide was downregulated. In summary, electroacupuncture improved intestinal motility in PD mice by affecting serotonin levels, serotonin 4 receptor expression, and the cAMP/PKA pathway, providing a potentially effective and promising complementary and alternative therapy for relieving constipation symptoms in patients with PD.