Microbiota-gut-brain axis refers to a bidirectional pathway between gut microbiota and the central nervous systems via neural, immune, endocrine and metabolic pathways, and its dysfunction is the crucial factor implicated in many diseases. Acupuncture adjusts the microbiota-gut-brain axis through regulating the structure and metabolic state of gut microbiota, improving the intestinal microenvironment, restoring the stability of intestinal mucosal barrier and blood-brain barrier, stimulating vagus nerve, reducing inflammation and modulating neurotransmitters, so that nervous system diseases, mental diseases, digestive system diseases and metabolic diseases can be treated. With the latest research trends and the cutting-edge technologies considered, the studies in the future should deepen the mechanism of acupuncture on the physiological pathway for modulating the structure and composition of gut microbiota as well as its holistic elaboration.
Objectives: To evaluate the clinical effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation(TEAS) on preoperative analgesia for the elderly patients with intertrochanteric fracture of femur.
Methods: A total of 126 elderly patients with intertrochanteric fracture of femur were randomized into an observation group(63 cases, one case dropped out) and a control group(63 cases, 2 cases dropped out ). In the observation group, TEAS was operated at Huantiao (GB30), Yanglingquan (GB34), Zusanli (ST36) and Kuanguxue (Extra) on the affected side. In the control group, the sham-TEAS was delivered with the electrode patches attached on the same points, without electric current exerted. The interventions of the two groups started in 1 h on the 1st day of hospital-stay, stimulated for 1 h, twice daily, for maximal 3 d. The numeric rating scale (NRS) was observed on the day of hospital administration (T0), at 1 h (T1), 12 h (T2), 24 h (T3) and 48 h (T4) after the 1st intervention of the two groups, separately. The amount of additional analgesic drugs, the incidence of complications, and patient satisfaction for analgesia were recorded.
Results: The NRS scores either resting or passive movement from T1 to T4 were reduced compared with the score at T0 in the two groups (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the NRS scores of observation group were lower from T1 to T4 when resting and from T2 to T4 during passive movement (P<0.05). The analgesia satisfaction score of the observation group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). The incidence of nausea and vomiting was lower in the observation group compared with the control group (P<0.05). The amount of additional analgesic drugs was reduced in the observation group in comparison with the control group (P<0.05).
Conclusions: TEAS exhibits the favorable preoperative analgesic effects in the elderly patients with intertrochanteric fracture of femur, and it reduces the dosage of analgesic drugs, and the occurrence of complications.
Objectives: To observe the effect of acupuncture on the recovery of neurological function in mice with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), so as to explore its mechanism of regulating mitochondria in brain tissue of ICH mice through the utilization of RNA sequencing and m6A methylation sequencing technology.
Methods: Twenty-four male C57BL/6J mice were ramondly divided into sham operation, model, and acupuncture groups (n=8 in each group). The ICH model was established by injection of the rat's auto-blood (10 μL) into the right caudatum region. Acupuncture group received manual acupuncture stimulation of "Baihui" (GV20) for 30 min, once every 12 h for 7 d. After the intervention, the behavioral scores of mice in each group were evaluated. The contents of glutathione peroxidase malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in brain tissue were detected by ELISA. The N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification genes of ICH mice brain tissue were analyzed using RNA and m6A sequencing. The protein expression level of mitochondrial outer membrane translocase 20 (TOMM20) was detected by Western blot. The mRNA expression levels of Ndufb3、Ndufb6、Uqcr11、Cox7c、Ndufv1、Ndufb11 and Cytb were detected by PCR.
Results: Compared with the sham operation group, the suspension test score, balance walking test score, GSH-Px and SOD contents in the brain tissue were decreased (P<0.01), while the MDA content in the brain tissue was increased (P<0.01) in the model group. After the intervention and compared with the model group, the scores of the suspension test, the balance walking test and the contents of GSH-Px and SOD were increased (P<0.01, P<0.05), while the content of MDA was decreased (P<0.01) in the acupuncture group. RNA sequencing showed that a total of 780 differentially expressed genes were screened in the model group compared with the sham operation group, a total of 1 097 differentially expressed genes were screened in the acupuncture group compared with the model group, and the shared differential genes in the sham group vs model group and model group vs acupuncture group were 342;and 50 common differential genes were obtained after intersection with mitochondrial-related genes. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses of the screened differentially expressed genes revealed that the above differential genes were mainly enriched in the oxidative phosphorylation pathway. PCR and Western blot verification results showed that compared with the sham operation group, the expression levels of Ndufb3, Ndufb6, Uqcr11, Cox7c, Ndufv1, Ndufb11 and Cytb mRNA, and the expression level of TOMM20 protein were decreased (P<0.01) in the model group. All the indexes mentioned above were reserved (P<0.01) in the acupuncture group.
Conclusions: Acupuncture can impro
Objectives: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at "Jiaji" (EX-B2) on inhibiting neuronal apoptosis in rats with spinal cord injury based on the Janus tyrosine kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway, so as to explore the underlying mechanism of EA in the treatment of spinal cord injury.
Methods: A total of 36 SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, spinal cord injury group, and Jiaji EA group, with 12 rats in each group. The spinal cord injury model was established using Allen's method. The Jiaji EA group was treated with EA at EX-B2 (once a day, 30 min each time, for a total of 14 d). After the treatment, the Basso Beattie Bresnahan (BBB) score was used to evaluate the hindlimb motor function of rats in each group. HE staining was used to observe the morphological changes of spinal cord tissues. TUNEL staining was used to observe the pathological changes and neuronal apoptosis rate of the spinal cord. Western blot was used to detect the relative expression levels of phosphorylated (p)-JAK2, p-STAT3, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2 associated X protein (Bax), and Caspase-3 proteins in the spinal cord.
Results: Compared with the sham operation group at the same time point, the BBB score decreased (P<0.01), the spinal cord tissue structure in the injury area was disordered, the cell body shrank, and the neuronal apoptosis rate increased (P<0.01), the expression levels of p-JAK2, p-STAT3, Bax, and caspase-3 proteins increased (P<0.01) while the expression level of Bcl-2 protein decreased (P<0.01) in rats of the spinal cord injury group. Compared with the spinal cord injury group, the BBB score increased on the 7th and 14th day of intervention (P<0.01), the spinal cord tissue structure tended to be normal, the degree of neuronal damage was reduced, and the apoptosis rate decreased (P<0.01), the expression levels of p-JAK2, p-STAT3, Bax, and caspase-3 proteins decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05), while the expression level of Bcl-2 protein increased (P<0.05) in rats of the Jiaji EA group.
Conclusions: EA at EX-B2 can improve the motor function of rats with spinal cord injury, up-regulate the expressions of anti-apoptotic factors, down-regulate the expressions of pro-apoptotic factors, and reduce neuronal apoptosis in spinal cord injury. The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the activation of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.
Objectives: To summarize the acupoint compatibility regularity and application characteristics of moxibustion in the treatment of cognitive impairment disorders through data mining technology.
Methods: Eligible clinical studies of moxibustion for treatment of cognitive disorders were searched from databases of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and SinoMed from the inception of the databases to August 3rd, 2024 and according to our inclusion and exclusion criteria. Then, a new database for moxibustion treatment of cognitive impairment disorders was established to conduct the standardized processing and frequency analysis using Microsoft Excel 2019. The association rule analysis was performed using the Apriori algorithm of IBM SPSS Modeler 18.0 software. A complex network diagram of high-frequency co-occurring acupoints (stronger compatibility connection between acupoints) was drawn using Cytoscape 3.10.2 software, and the cluster analysis was performed using Origin Lab version 2021 software.
Results: A total of 121 articles were included, containing 139 prescriptions and 66 acupoints, with a total frequency of acupoints being 633. The top six acupoints in order are Baihui(GV20), Zusanli (ST36), Shenting (GV24), Dazhui(GV14), Sanyinjiao(SP6) and Shenshu (BL23), and the main meridian selected is the Governer Vessel. The frequently used acupoints mostly distributed in head, face and the lower limbs. Among the specific acupoints, the intersection acupoints are the most frequently used. Among the association rules, GV20-GV24 and ST36-SP6 had the highest support degree. Cluster analysis showed that the acupoints can be divided into 4 groups. The simple moxibustion method is mostly used, and the mild moxibustion is the first one. The mostly used number of moxa-cones is 3, moxibustion duration is 30 min each time, a single course of treatment is 6 times a week, and the total course of treatment is 8 weeks.
Conclusions: In the treatment of cognitive impairment disorders, the main acupoints frequently employed are GV20, GV24, GV14, ST36, SP6 and BL23. With an appropriate moxibustion dosage, a good clinical effect can be achieved.
Objectives: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), matrix metalloproteinases 9 (MMP-9) and tight junction proteins in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CI/RI) , so as to explore its potential mechanism in alleviating injury of neurological function and blood-brain barrier (BBB).
Methods: A total of 84 male SD rats were used in the present study. The CIRI model was established by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery and reperfusion (MCAO/R), followed by dividing the CIRI rats into model group, EA group, and edaravone group (n=21 in each group). And another 21 normal rats were used as the sham operation group. For rats of the EA group, EA (2 Hz/15 Hz, 1 mA) was applied to "Baihui" (GV20) and "Zusanli" (ST36) on the affected limb for 20 min, once a day for 3 days. Rats of the edaravone group were intraperitoneally injected with edaravone injection (3 mg/kg), once a day for 3 days. The modified neurological severity score (mNSS) was used to evaluate the neurological behavior of rats. TTC staining was used to detect the percentage of cerebral infarction volume. HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of cerebral cortex in ischemic area. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the changes of BBB ultrastructure in ischemic cortex. Evans blue (EB) staining was used to evaluate BBB permeability. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the expression of HIF-1α and VEGF protein in ischemic cortex. The protein and mRNA expressions of HIF-1α, VEGF, MMP-9, Zonula Occludens 1 (ZO-1), Occludin and Claudin-5 in the ischemic cortex were detected by Western blot or real-time PCR, respectively.
Results: Compared with the sham operation group, the neurological deficit score, the percentage of cerebral infarction volume, EB leakage, the positive expressions of HIF-1α and VEGF, the protein and mRNA expressions of HIF-1α, VEGF and MMP-9 of ischemic cortex were increased (P<0.01) in the model group , while the protein and mRNA expressions of ZO-1, Occludin and Claudin-5 were decreased (P<0.01). After the intervention and compared with the model group, the neurological deficit score, the percentage of cerebral infarction volume, EB leakage, the positive expressions of HIF-1α and VEGF, the protein and mRNA expressions of HIF-1α, VEGF and MMP-9 of ischemic cortex were decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05) in the EA and edaravone groups;the protein and mRNA expression of ZO-1, Occludin and Claudin-5 were increased (P<0.05, P<0.01) in the EA group;the protein and mRNA expression of Occludin were increased (P<0.01, P<0.05) and the mRNA expression of ZO-1 and Claudin-5 were increased (P<0.05, P<0.01) in the edaravone group. The ultrastructure of BBB was damaged in the model group, which were re
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic progressive neurological degenerative disease caused by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. α-synuclein (α-Syn) misfolding and aggregation is the crucial pathogenesis of PD, and is closely related to the other pathogenesis, such as brain-gut axis dysfunction, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, iron and lipid metabolic disorders, and autophagy lysosomal dysfunction. Acupuncture plays a neuroprotective role by attenuating neuroinflammation, regulating brain-gut axis, repairing ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy lysosomal system, and modulating signaling pathways, so as to inhibit α-Syn abnormal folding and aggregation. This article reviews the effect of α-Syn in the pathogenesis of PD and acupuncture treatment, so as to provide the valuable guidance for clinical treatment.
The pathological mechanism of Parkinson's disease (PD) is complex and affected by multi-system and multi-level factors including mitochondrial dysfunction (MD). It has been demonstrated that all patients with PD have a marked loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantial nigra pars compacta, and MD is an important initial factor causing dopaminergic neuron degeneration. Clinical practice has shown that acupuncture has a positive role in the treatment of PD. In the present article, we summed up recent research results about the mechanisms of acupuncture underlying improvement of PD from the standpoint of mitochondrial function. Acupuncture has been shown to be able in improving mitochondrial function, and restoring mitochondrial homeostasis, and protecting the normal morphological structure of mitochondria. It can also regulate the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1α), adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and Sirtuins (SIRT) to take part in mitochondrial biogenesis; decrease the levels of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), mitochondrial fission factor (MFF), and mitochondrial fission protein 1 (Fis1) protein to preserve mitochondrial dynamic stability; and modulate the expression of PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1), Parkin, P62, microtubule-associated protein light chain 3Ⅱ (LC3Ⅱ), and Beclin1 to promote autophagy. In addition, through controlling mitochondrial energy metabolism, preserving calcium homeostasis, reducing oxidative stress, and preventing neuronal apoptosis, acupuncture can also help improve mitochondrial dysfunction and prevent the onset and progression of PD. However, more researches are warranted to fully unravel the underlying mechanisms of acupuncture intervention before it can be popularized in clinical settings.
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