Acupuncture has been applied in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease (PD) in China for over decades. Clinical practice revealed that it could relieve the suf ferings of PD patients and improve their life quality. Besides

acupuncture is a lso effective for other neurological disorders such as optic nerve atrophy

spin al cord injury and brain dysplasia. But the mechanism underlying the phenomenon is still unknow n. In the present study

we gave high and low frequency electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation to the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) transected rats in order to fi nd whether EA could attenuate the abnormal rotational behavior and dopaminergic neuron degeneration or increase the gene expression of GDNF and BDNF in the dopa minergic neurons. The main findings are: ① Transection of the MFB with a wire k nife resulted in abnormal ipsilateral rotational behavior of rats induced by amp hetamine and reduction of DA in the striatum to about 50% two weeks after the tr ansection. ② Both chronic low (2 Hz) and high (100 Hz) frequency EA stimulation were effective in attenuating the rotational behavior within 2 weeks of MFB tra nsection. The same effect could last for at least 4 weeks in the animals stimula ted with high frequency EA but not low frequency EA. ③ The content of DA in the striatum was increased significantly in the unlesioned side of both the low and high frequency EA stimulated rats. No increase had been found in the lesioned s ide. ④ High frequency EA could increase the gene expression of GDNF on the unle sioned side of substantia nigra reticular (SNr) region

and both sides of the gl obus pallidus

while low frequency EA was effective in increasing gene expressio n of GDNF in the unlesioned side of globus pallidus. ⑤ High frequency EA could attenuate the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the SNc. The low frequency EA had no effect. ⑥ High frequency EA

but not the low frequency

could increa se the gene expression of BDNF in the SNc and the ventral tegmental area (VTA) o f the lesioned side of rats after MFB transection

indicating that high frequenc y EA stimulation could be more effective than the low frequency EA in accelerati ng the synthesis of endogenous neurotrophic factors and in attenuating the degen eration of dopaminergic neurons.