ArticleExperimental neurobiology2026
MCHR1 in Both Dopaminergic Neurons and Astrocytes in the SNpc Contributes to Acupuncture's Anti-Parkinsonian Effects.
Article in Experimental neurobiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Acupuncture stimulation at the GB34 acupoint has been reported to alleviate motor dysfunction in Parkinson's disease (PD) by activating the lateral hypothalamic melanin concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons projecting to the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). MCH receptor 1 (MCHR1) signaling is also known to be essential for the anti-Parkinsonian effects of acupuncture. However, the cellular distribution of MCHR1 and its cell type-specific contributions to the therapeutic effects of acupuncture in PD remain largely unexplored. Here, we show that MCHR1 is expressed in both dopaminergic neurons and astrocytes within the SNpc, with higher expression in dopaminergic neurons. We further demonstrate that cell-type-specific gene-silencing of MCHR1 in either dopaminergic neurons or astrocytes significantly blocks acupuncture-induced motor recovery and dopaminergic neuron protection. These findings indicate that both neuronal and astrocytic MCHR1 contribute to the anti-Parkinsonian effects of acupuncture. Together, this study provides new insight into MCHR1 as a potential therapeutic target for PD.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.