Acupuncture is a commonly used method to provide motor-symptomatic relief for patients with Parkinson s disease (PD). Our objective was to evaluate protective effects of acupuncture treatment and potential underlying mechanisms according to the "gut-brain axis" theory. We employed a 6-OHDA-induced PD rat model. The effects of acupuncture on disease development were assessed by behavioural tests and immunohistochistry (IHC). ELISA, qPCR and western blot (WB) were employed to measure inflammatory parameters and Fe metabolism in the substantia nigra (SN), striatum, duodenum and blood, respectively. Our data show that acupuncture can significantly increase the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), compared with untreated and madopa treated rats (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). Furthermore we could observe significantly decreased levels of pro-inflammatory markers in the duodenum and serum (P < 0.05), reduced deposition of Fe in the substantia nigra (P < 0.05) and but no change in transferrin expression after acupuncture treatment. The mRNA ratio of DMT1/Fpn1 in the SN of acupuncture treated rats (1.1) was comparable to that of the sham group (1.0) which differed both significantly from the untreated and madopa treated groups (P < 0.05). Furthermore, after acupuncture expression of α-synuclein was decreased in the duodenum. Acupuncture can reduce iron accumulation in the SN and protect the loss of dopamine neurons by promoting balanced expression of the iron importer DMT1 and the iron exporter Fpn1. Furthermore CNS iron homeostasis may be affected by reduced systemic and intestinal inflammation.

Acupuncture can effectively improve the sleep state, and most PD patients have sleep disorders. In this study, we used acupuncture to intervene in the sleep state of PDSD, so as to observe the changes and dose effect of Acutreatment on PDSD. 57 patients with PDSD, during medical treatment, aged 40–70 years were recruited to enroll in this trial. Each participant completed one condition, namely, Acutreatment (n = 30) and sham Acutreatment (placebo, stick flat needle on skin, n = 27). The Acutreatment was applied for 30 min once a day for a 30‐day observation. UPDRSIII scores for motor symptom assessment and sleeping quality were assessed by PDSS‐2, ESS as well as ActiGraph. Scale evaluation was made on the first day of admission and the thirtieth day. There were significant differences on all outcome indicators, except UPDRSIII, on day 30 compared with day 1 (P < 0.01). Compared with sham Acutreatment therapy, Acutreatment therapy has better performance in sleep latency, total sleep time, and sleep efficiency (P < 0.01). ActiGraph indicated that sleep efficiency of sham or Acutreatment in day 6 was significantly lower than that in day 5 (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01) and Acutreatment in day 7 was significantly lower than that in day 6 (P < 0.01). The sleep efficiency of Acutreatment in days 5, 6, and 7 was significantly higher than that in sham Acutreatment (P < 0.01). Moreover, Acutreatment in days 26, 27, and 28 was significantly higher than that in sham Acutreatment (P < 0.01). There was a close correlation between the difference of UPDRSIII and PDSS‐2 (r = 0.5090, P < 0.05), sleep latency (r = 0.7201, P < 0.01), TST (r = −0.6136, P < 0.01), and sleep efficiency (r = −0.6707, P < 0.01). The sleep condition of PDSD patients can be improved by acupuncture, which can effectively relieve sleep quality, can also be shown by ActiGraph, and shows a dose‐response relationship. Future research should explore Acutreatment with a larger sample size and compare the Acutreatment protocol goal formation of the system scheme.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a new PLGA based microsphere formulation aimed to release the olanzapine for the period of one month which will result in increased compliance. Methods: Microspheres loaded with olanzapine were prepared using oil in water emulsion and solvent evaporation technique. The microspheres were characterized by surface morphology, shape, size, bulk density, encapsulation efficiency, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. In vitro release studies were performed in phosphate buffer at 37°C and in vivo studies were conducted on male Sprague- Dawley rats. Results: The morphological results indicated that microspheres produced were having a smooth surface, spherical shape and the size in the range from 9.71 to 19.90 μm mean diameter. Encapsulation efficiency of olanzapine loaded microspheres was in the range of 78.53 to 96.12% and was affected by changing the ratio of lactic to glycolic acid in copolymer PLGA. The properties of PLGA and other formulation parameters had a significant impact on in vitro and in vivo release of drug from microspheres. In vitro release kinetics revealed that release of drug from microspheres is by both non-Fickian diffusion and erosion of PLGA polymer. In vivo data indicated an initial burst release and then sustained release depending on properties of PLGA, microsphere size, and bulk density. Conclusion: This study indicates that microsphere formulations developed with PLGA (75:25) and PLGA (85:15) have provided a sufficient steady release of drug for at least 30 days and can be potential candidates for 30-day depot injection drug delivery of olanzapine.

Background: Pharmacological treatment for adolescent depression is limited in safety and efficacy. Acupuncture treatment for depression has been endorsed by the World Health Organization. This study aimed to analyze the efficacy and mechanisms of acupuncture in treating adolescent depression. Methods: An 4-week clinical trial was conducted from February 1, 2022 to June 30, 2024 at three hospitals. Patients aged 12 to 18 years were divided into three treatment groups: Manual acupuncture (MA), antidepressants (ADM), or acupuncture combined with antidepressants (MA+ADM). The 24-item Hamilton Depression scale (HAMD-24) scores, serum neurotransmitters levels, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) data were assessed at baseline (week 0) and after treatment (week 4). Results: After a 4-week intervention, both the MA and MA+ADM groups showed significant improvement in HAMD-24 scores. The MA+ADM group experienced more improvement, particularly in addressing somatization and sleep disorders. The study revealed that acupuncture increased serum levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), kynurenic acid, dopamine noradrenaline, adrenaline, L-histidine, and picolinic acid in adolescents with depression. Acupuncture was also found to regulate the excitability of depression-related brain regions (frontal lobe, caudate nucleus, anterior cingulate, and paracingulate gyri) and the functional connectivity of depression-related circuits (limbic-cortical-striatal-pallidal-thalamic circuit and hate circuit). Furthermore, significant negative correlations were observed between week 0 and week 4 HAMD-24 scores and up-regulated serum levels of 5-HT and dopamine. Scores were positively associated with increased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and regional homogeneity values. Conclusions: Acupuncture improves adolescents’ depressive mood and sleep quality and alleviates somatic symptoms by modulating neurotransmitters levels and brain activity. Clinical Trial Registration: No: ChiCTR2200056171. https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=151197.

Vagus nerve stimulation offers a promising strategy for seizure control but remains limited by its invasive delivery. Here, we reveal electroacupuncture (EA), an ancient neuromodulatory technique rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, at specific somatic acupoints linked to the vagal–brain axis to treat epilepsy and delineate the precise underlying neural mechanisms. We demonstrate that EA at the Dazhui (GV14) acupoint exhibits broad-spectrum antiseizure efficacy across multiple seizure models. Anatomical and functional analyses reveal that GV14 activates the vagal afferents and recruits neurons in the caudal nucleus of the solitary tract (cNTS), which are essential for seizure suppression. Using targeted recombination in active populations and chemogenetic manipulation, we show that GV14 EA suppresses seizures via the recruitment of a defined cNTS–locus coeruleus–amygdala circuit. Furthermore, through vagal afferent activity screening, we identify Yaoqi (EXB9) as an alternative therapeutic acupoint that activates a shared neural pathway to robustly attenuate seizures. Importantly, thread-embedding acupuncture at GV14 or EXB9 produces sustained seizure reduction in a chronic epilepsy model. Together, these findings elucidate a functional vagal–brain circuit underlying EA-induced seizure control and support its translational potential as a minimally invasive neuromodulatory strategy to replace vagal stimulation for epilepsy treatment.