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Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of acupuncture-like stimulation at the Baihui(GV20)and Dazhui(GV14)acupoints during Parkinsons disease and to establish the neuroprotective mechanisms involved in the modulation of the activity of mitochondrial Complex.Methods: Seventy-five male C57BL/6J mice were randomly and averagely divided into five groups: saline-injected group(control group),MPTP-injected group(model group),MPTP-injected plus acupuncture-treated group(acupuncture group),MPTP-injected plus medopar-treated group (medopar group),MPTP-injected plus acupuncture and medopar treated group(acupuncture and medopar group).Either saline or MPTP(1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine)was injected 20mg/kg intraperitoneally during 5 consecutive days before treatment.For various treated groups,medopa was administered 112.5mg/kg intragastrically and mice were given the acupuncture of Baihui(GV20,locating directly above the midpoint of the posterior hairline)and Dazhui(GV14,locating on the posterior midline,in the depression below the spinous process of the 7th cervical vertebra)every other day for 51 days after 5-day MPTP injection,respectively.For the control and model groups,an equal volume of distilled water was administered intragastrically instead of medopa.The effects of acupuncture on the behavioral changes(pole test),expression of tyrosine hydroxylase(TH)of substantia nigra by immunohistochemistry,neuronal ultrastructure changes by transmission electron microscopy,and activities of mitochondrial complexes Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ by active colorimetric method were investigated.Results: Present study demonstrated that acupuncture not only ameliorated the behavior induced by the administration of MPTP and synergistically prevented the decreasing of TH expression,but also improved the ultrastructural changes,and up-regulated the activities of mitochondrial complexes Ⅱ and Ⅲ(p<0.05).Conclusions: Our study results indicate that acupuncture possesses anti-parkinsonism and neuroprotective properties.The effects might be associated with reducing the loss of dopaminergic neurons and maintaining the mitochondrial function by up-regulating the activity of mitochondrial complex.