electroacupuncture-orchestrates-intestinal-flora-remodeling-step

Electroacupuncture Orchestrates Intestinal Flora Remodeling: A Step Forward in Alleviating High Salt-Induced Vasculopathy

This study aims to investigate the therapeutic potential and mechanisms of electroacupuncture (EA) in alleviating vascular dysfunction caused by high-salt ...

As a major alternative therapy in Traditional Chinese Medicine, it has been demonstrated that moxibustion could generate a series of molecular events in blood, spleen, and brain, and so forth. However, what would happen at the moxibustioned site remained unclear. To answer this question, we performed a microarray analysis with skin tissue taken from the moxibustioned site also Zusanli acupoint (ST36) where 15-minute moxibustion stimulation was administrated. The results exhibited 145 upregulated and 72 downregulated genes which responded immediately under physiological conditions, and 255 upregulated and 243 downregulated genes under pathological conditions. Interestingly, most of the pathways and biological processes of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under pathological conditions get involved in immunity, while those under physiological conditions are involved in metabolism.

Gene Expression Profiles at Moxibustioned Site (ST36): A Microarray Analysis.

Knee osteoarthritis is a common form of arthritis in elderly patients that is characterised by pain and functional limitation. Moxibustion has been employed to relieve chronic pain as an alternative therapy for knee osteoarthritis. However, the evidence of its efficacy is equivocal due to the low methodological quality in most clinical studies. Therefore, we are performing a double-blinded, double-placebo, randomised controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of moxibustion in participants with knee osteoarthritis.

Moxibustion versus diclofenac sodium gel for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: a study protocol for a double-blinded, double-placebo, randomised controlled trial.

Conventional moxibustion is a representative non-drug intervention in traditional Chinese medicine, and it has been reported to produce encouraging results and benefits in relieving symptoms and improving the quality of life for patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in previous clinical trials and systematic reviews. Given that increasing concerns on the safety of generated smoke from conventional moxibustion have received much attention, smoke-free moxibustion is regarded as a potential alternative. However, whether smoke-free moxibustion would display a similar efficacy to that of conventional moxibustion still remains unclear. Therefore, this randomized controlled trial attempts to investigate the difference of efficacy between conventional moxibustion and smoke-free moxibustion in patients with KOA.

Comparison of the efficacy between conventional moxibustion and smoke-free moxibustion on knee osteoarthritis: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether contralateral moxibustion would generate a similar analgesic effect with ipsilateral moxibustion. Contra- and ipsilateral moxibustion were separately applied to Zusanli (ST36) acupoints of inflammatory pain mice. The analgesic effect was evaluated, respectively, by licking/biting time (LBT) of formalin-induced inflammatory pain and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) of complete Freund's adjuvant- (CFA-) induced inflammatory pain. For formalin-induced pain, compared with formalin group, the total LBT of ipsi- and contralateral moxibustion reduced in both phase I and phase II, but there was no significant difference between ipsi- and contralateral moxibustion. For CFA-induced inflammatory pain, compared with CFA group, TWL of ipsi- and contra-Moxi groups increased immediately after moxibustion intervention; however there was no obvious difference between ipsi- and contralateral moxibustion at any timepoint. It indicated that contralateral moxibustion had a similar analgesic effect with ipsilateral moxibustion in both formalin- and CFA-induced pain. These results suggest that both ipsi- and contralateral moxibustion could be applied for pain relief.

Ipsi- and Contralateral Moxibustion Generate Similar Analgesic Effect on Inflammatory Pain.

The aim of this study was to investigate the difference of efficacy between conventional moxibustion (CM) and smoke-free moxibustion (SM) for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee (KOA).

Comparison of the Efficacy between Conventional Moxibustion and Smoke-Free Moxibustion on Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Insomnia with high incidence is usually accompanied by many other diseases, especially mental disorders with the under-diagnosis and under-treatment. Some studies demonstrated that acupuncture may be effective for emotional disorders accompanied by insomnia. The systematic review protocol is designed to guiding analysis the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for emotional disorders in patients with insomnia.

The effect of acupuncture on emotional disorders in patients with insomnia: A protocol for systemic review and meta-analysis.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) are a range of neurological disorders featured by neuronal degeneration and apoptosis. Cellular Calcium (Ca) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) dyshomeostasis are the earliest and important events in the development of NDDs and may yield promising therapeutic targets for NDDs. Paeoniflorin, a water-soluble monoterpene glucoside, is the major bioactive monomer extracted from the root of Paeonia lactiflora pall. Increasing evidence has suggested that this natural compound might be used to treat various NDDs, and its potential molecular mechanisms are related to the modulation of Ca/ROS homeostasis in cells. In addition, paeoniflorin accounts for more than 40% of the total glucosides of herbaceous peonies with abundant herbaceous sources. Furthermore, it has also been validated as a safe extraction in clinical pharmacological research with a wide therapeutic window. Hence, it is rational to anticipate paeoniflorin being a promising candidate for the treatment of NDDs via regulating Ca/ROS dyshomeostasis.

Paeoniflorin is a promising natural monomer for neurodegenerative diseases via modulation of Ca and ROS homeostasis.

Acupuncture has already been extensively utilized to treat high blood pressure (hypertension) in several nations. Nevertheless, the bibliometric research on the worldwide usage of acupuncture for hypertension is mostly unclear. As a result, our objective for the research aimed to investigate the present state as well as developments in the global usage of acupuncture on hypertension during the last 20 years using CiteSpace (5.8.R2). The Web of Science (WOS) database examined papers on acupuncture treatment of hypertension from 2002 to 2021. We examined the number of publications, cited journals, nations/regions, organizations, authors, cited authors, cited references, and keywords utilizing CiteSpace. The record of 296 documents was obtained between 2002 and 2021. The quantity and frequency of annual publications rose gradually. Regarding frequency and centrality of citations, Circulation and  () scored top and second respectively. China had the most publications among countries/regions, as well as the five largest institutions were also in China. Cunzhi Liu was the most productive author, while P Li was the most referenced author. XF Zhao produced the first article inside the quantity of cited references classification. 'Electroacupuncture' had a significant frequency with centrality for the keywords, which suggested electroacupuncture is a popular treatment in this field. In the treatment of hypertension, electroacupuncture has a beneficial effect on reducing blood pressure. However, because of the many different applications of electroacupuncture frequencies in research, whether the electroacupuncture frequency is connected to the therapeutic impact should be given more significant consideration. The findings of this bibliometric analysis give an overview of the present state as well as developments of clinical studies on acupuncture for hypertensive patients during the last two decades, which could assist researchers in identifying hot subjects and exploring novel directions in further study within the field.

Research trends of acupuncture therapy for hypertension over the past two decades: a bibliometric analysis.

To observe the similarities and differences of effects of moxibustion at "Zusanli" (ST36) on target tissues and macrophages polarization in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) rats, and to summarize its efficacy and characteristics.

Comparison of the effect of moxibustion at "Zusanli" (ST36) on the polarization of synovial macrophages of knee joints in rats with knee osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) plays an important role in modulating inflammation and fibrosis, but information is limited whether Zusanli (ST36) can inhibit inflammation and fibrosis by regulating P2X7R. Isoprenaline at 5 mg/kg was subcutaneously injected to wild-type and P2X7R knockout mice for 7 days, while treatment groups received electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation at ST36 for 7 sessions. Following 7-session treatment, Masson's trichrome staining was performed to assess the fibrosis. Morphology, electrocardiogram, and echocardiography were carried out to evaluate the cardiac function and structure. Western blotting, hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunohistochemistry, and biochemical analysis of inflammatory cytokine and transmission electron microscopy were carried out to characterize the effect of ST36 on inflammation. P2X7R was overexpressed in ISO-treated mice. EA at ST36, but not at non-points, reduced ISO-induced cardiac fibrosis, increases in HW/BW, R+S wave relative to mice in ISO groups. In addition, EA at ST36 downregulated ISO-upregulated P2X7R and NLRP3 in ventricle. Moreover, EA reduced cytokines of IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-18 in serum, and inhibited foam cell gathering, inflammatory cell infiltration, and autophagy. However, EA at ST36 failed to attenuate the cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy in P2X7R knockout mice. In conclusion, EA at ST36 attenuated ISO-induced fibrosis possibly via P2X7R.

P2X7 receptor is essential for ST36-attenuated cardiac fibrosis upon beta-adrenergic insult.

The performance of biological-originated blood vessels in clinical remains disappointing due to fast occlusion caused by acute thrombosis or long-standing inflammation. How to prevent rapid degradation and inhibit acute inflammation but maintain their high bioactivity is still a significant challenge. As a bioactive polyphenol in various traditional Chinese medicine, Corilagin (Cor) exhibits excellent anticoagulant, anti-inflammatory and rapid ROS consumption properties. Inspired by abundant supramolecular interactions in organisms, we selected it to crosslink tissues via purely H-bonds to simulate these natural interactions without introducing potential toxic aldehyde or carboxyl groups. Results show that 2 mg/ml was selected as the optimal Cor concentration to form a stable crosslinking network (FI > 95%) and effectively delay their degradation. Cor modification not only enhances ECs adhesion and monolayer function via accelerating VEGF and TGF-β secretion but also promotes macrophage transformation from pro-inflammatory M1 phenotype to anti-inflammatory M2 ones.  and  studies implied that Cor-crosslinked samples exhibited low platelet accumulation and decreased thrombin generation.  evaluation further confirmed that Cor-introducing could effectively consume ROS, thus exhibiting rapid endothelialization, suppressed inflammation and reduced mineral deposition. Overall, Cor crosslinking provided a bright future for blood vessels' long-term patency and adapted to various blood-contacting surfaces.

Corilagin functionalized decellularized extracellular matrix as artificial blood vessels with improved endothelialization and anti-inflammation by reactive oxygen species scavenging.

DNA methylation is the first epigenetic modification found in humans. Abnormal changes in DNA methylation are closely associated with the development and progression of diseases. Acupuncture, an important component of traditional Chinese medicine, has been shown to have significant therapeutic efficacy. The mechanisms underlying acupuncture are complex, involving physiological and pathological processes of integrated interactions across multiple targets. However, current research mostly focuses on a single target, highlighting the need for a more upstream approach to the investigation of the mechanisms. Herein, we reviewed studies on the direct or indirect regulation of DNA methylation via acupuncture. We also discussed its mechanisms of action in pain, obesity, depression, and Alzheimer disease, in order to provide a new perspective on the therapeutic mechanisms of acupuncture and the role of DNA methylation in the field of acupuncture research. Future research should concentrate on the effect of acupuncture on the DNA methylation of specific genes, the quantification of changes in DNA methylation at different acupoints, the development of individualized acupuncture prescriptions, further investigation of the specificity of the effects at different acupoint, and the expansion of the research to integrate epigenetics and genomics. This will provide a theoretical basis for the internationalization and the promotion of clinical application of acupuncture.

[Research Progress in the Mechanisms of Acupuncture in Regulating DNA Methylation].

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a widely utilized assisted reproductive technology, but its success rates remain suboptimal due to various physiological and psychological factors. Acupuncture, as a complementary therapy, has been proposed to improve reproductive outcomes and alleviate associated pain and anxiety.

Article	Year
Gene Expression Profiles at Moxibustioned Site (ST36): A Microarray Analysis. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM\| PubMed ID: 24198847	2013
Moxibustion versus diclofenac sodium gel for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis: a study protocol for a double-blinded, double-placebo, randomised controlled trial. BMJ open\| PubMed ID: 28404609	2017
Comparison of the efficacy between conventional moxibustion and smoke-free moxibustion on knee osteoarthritis: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial. Trials\| PubMed ID: 28438185	2017
Ipsi- and Contralateral Moxibustion Generate Similar Analgesic Effect on Inflammatory Pain. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM\| PubMed ID: 30867668	2019
Comparison of the Efficacy between Conventional Moxibustion and Smoke-Free Moxibustion on Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM\| PubMed ID: 31001350	2019
The effect of acupuncture on emotional disorders in patients with insomnia: A protocol for systemic review and meta-analysis. Medicine\| PubMed ID: 33371135	2020
Paeoniflorin is a promising natural monomer for neurodegenerative diseases via modulation of Ca and ROS homeostasis. Current opinion in pharmacology\| PubMed ID: 34959127	2022
Research trends of acupuncture therapy for hypertension over the past two decades: a bibliometric analysis. Cardiovascular diagnosis and therapy\| PubMed ID: 36864974	2023
Comparison of the effect of moxibustion at "Zusanli" (ST36) on the polarization of synovial macrophages of knee joints in rats with knee osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Zhen ci yan jiu = Acupuncture research\| PubMed ID: 37879949	2023
P2X7 receptor is essential for ST36-attenuated cardiac fibrosis upon beta-adrenergic insult. Purinergic signalling\| PubMed ID: 38676825	2024
Corilagin functionalized decellularized extracellular matrix as artificial blood vessels with improved endothelialization and anti-inflammation by reactive oxygen species scavenging. Regenerative biomaterials\| PubMed ID: 39664941	2024
[Research Progress in the Mechanisms of Acupuncture in Regulating DNA Methylation]. Sichuan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Sichuan University. Medical science edition\| PubMed ID: 40109463	2025
Acupuncture for women undergoing in vitro fertilization: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis. International journal of nursing studies\| PubMed ID: 40412094	2025

Ling Luo

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