Transcranial alternating current stimulation rescues motor deficits in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease via the production of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor.

BACKGROUND

Therapeutic effects of transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) for treating Parkinson's disease (PD) are limited to modulating abnormally synchronized oscillations; however, long-lasting tACS effects may involve non-neuronal mechanisms like the regulation of neurotrophic factors.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: We investigated whether tACS exerts neuroprotective effects on dopaminergic neurons in a mouse model of PD by regulating endogenous glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF).

METHODS

Repeated high-definition tACS (HD-tACS, 20 min, 89.1 μA/mm2) was administered over the primary motor cortex of C57BL/6J 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced PD mice. Behavioral tests assessing motor function, immunohistochemistry, western blots, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and flow cytometric analyses were performed to examine suitable tACS conditions and its underlying mechanisms.

RESULTS

Stimulation at representative frequencies (theta to gamma; 20-Hz beta frequency, in particular) attenuated motor dysfunction and protected the dopaminergic neurons with increased GDNF production. Beta-frequency (20 Hz) tACS application significantly attenuated motor deficits to levels comparable with those of levodopa treatment. Moreover, beta-frequency tACS induced the survival of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra with upregulated production of endogenous GDNF in striatal parvalbumin-positive interneurons. An inhibitor of the GDNF receptor-associated rearranged during transfection (RET) kinase suppressed most aspects of the tACS-induced behavioral recovery, dopaminergic cell survival, and GDNF production. Beta-frequency tACS activated RET-related survival signaling for dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra.

CONCLUSIONS

Application of tACS over the primary motor cortex may exert protective effects on dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra via activation of endogenous GDNF production by striatal parvalbumin-positive interneurons and its survival signaling.