Effects of Acupuncture on Oxidative Stress Amelioration via Nrf2/ARE-Related Pathways in Alzheimer and Parkinson Diseases

Figure 3

Summary of effect of acupuncture on oxidative stress amelioration in AD. Except for Nrf2/ARE-related pathways, acupuncture can ameliorate oxidative stress and decrease neuroinflammation, Aβ production, and aggregation, and tau phosphorylation via multiple signal transduction pathways. Acupuncture can reduce the generation of ROS by activating Nrf2 and PGC-1α, and inhibiting NOXs. Moreover, acupuncture can reverse mitochondria dysfunction, further reducing tau phosphorylation. ROS: reactive oxygen species; RNS: reactive nitrogen species; AMPK: adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase; PGC-1α: peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha; NOX: nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidases; Nrf2: nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2; NF-κB: nuclear factor kappa B; BDNF: brain-derived neurotrophic factor; TrkB: tropomyosin-related kinase receptor type B; PI3K: phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase; Akt: protein kinase B; mTOR: mammalian target of rapamycin; Aβ: amyloid beta; GSK-3β: glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta; Hsp: heat shock protein; ∆ψm: the mitochondrial membrane potential; CYC: cytochrome C; CDK-5: cyclin-dependent kinase 5.