最新刊期
卷 51 ， 期 7 ， 2026
- 摘要：ObjectiveTo observe the effect of electroacupuncture （EA） at “Hegu” （LI4） and “Quchi” （LI11） on skin inflammatory injury， itching， and poly（ADP-ribose） polymerase 1 （PARP1）-dependent cell death （Parthanatos） in mice with atopic dermatitis （AD） based on the protease-activated receptor 2 （PAR2）/transient receptor potential vanilloid 3 （TRPV3） pathway， and to explore the possible mechanism of EA in the treatment of AD.MethodsThirty-six male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into a normal group， a model group， and an EA group， with 12 mice in each group. The AD model was established by topical application of calcipotriol （MC903） solution. After successful modeling， the EA group received EA at bilateral LI4 and LI11 once daily， 30 min per session， for 7 consecutive days. The scoring atopic dermatitis （SCORAD） index and scratching frequency were recorded before and after intervention in each group. Histopathological morphology of skin tissue was observed by HE staining. Cell apoptosis in skin tissue was detected by TUNEL assay. The protein expressions of PAR2，TRPV3， interleukin （IL）-33， IL-31， IL-13， PARP1， mitochondrial apoptosis-inducing factor 1 （AIFM1）， and macrophage migration inhibitory factor （MIF） in skin tissue were measured by Western blot. The mRNA expression levels of PAR2，TRPV3， inflammatory factors （IL-33， IL-31， IL-13）， and Parthanatos-related genes （PAR2， TRPV3， PARP1， AIFM1， MIF） in skin tissue were detected by real-time quantitative PCR. The expression of PARP1 in skin tissue was determined by immunofluorescence.ResultsCompared with the normal group， the model group showed significantly increased SCORAD score （P<0.01）， elevated scratching frequency （P<0.01）， higher skin cell apoptosis rate （P<0.01）， up-regulated protein and mRNA expressions of PAR2， TRPV3， inflammatory factors （IL-33， IL-31， IL-13）， and Parthanatos-related factors PARP1， AIFM1， MIF （P<0.01， P<0.05）， as well as enhanced PARP1 fluorescence intensity （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the EA group exhibited decreased SCORAD score （P<0.01）， reduced scratching frequency （P<0.01）， lower skin cell apoptosis rate （P<0.01）， down-regulated protein and mRNA expressions of PAR2， TRPV3， inflammatory factors （IL-33， IL-31， IL-13）， and Parthanatos-related factors PARP1， AIFM1， MIF （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and weakened PARP1 fluorescence intensity （P<0.01）. HE staining showed severe skin lesions， marked epidermal hyperplasia and massive inflammatory cell infiltration in the model group， whereas the EA group displayed relatively intact epidermal structure， significantly alleviated structural damage， and less inflammatory cell infiltration.ConclusionEA at LI4 and LI11 can alleviate skin inflammatory injury and itching in AD mice， and its mechanism may be related to down-regulating the PAR2/TRPV3 pathway and inhibiting Parthanatos in skin cells.关键词：Electroacupuncture;Atopic dermatitis;Protease-activated receptor 2/transient receptor potential vanilloid 3 pathway;Parthanatos81|63|0更新时间：2026-07-17
- 摘要：ObjectiveTo explore the mechanism of hyperalgesia priming （HP） and evaluate the intervention effect of electroacupuncture （EA） on pain transition.MethodsFifty-nine male C57 mice were used for 4 separate experiments. In the first experiment， the mice were divided into a control group， a sham sensitization group， and a sensitization group， with 5 mice per group. In the second experiment， the mice were divided into a sham sensitization group， a sensitization group， and a sensitization + EA group， with 5 mice per group. The third experiment consisted of a sensitization group and a sensitization + minocycline group， with 7 mice per group. In the fourth experiment， the mice were divided into a sensitization group， a sensitization + EA + PBS group， and a sensitization + EA + colony-stimulating factor （CSF） group， with 5 mice per group. A HP mouse model was established via consecutive intraplantar injections of carrageenan and prostaglandin E2. EA was applied to bilateral “Zusanli” （ST36） and “Kunlun” （BL60） for 30 min， once daily for 8 d. Mechanical paw withdrawal thresholds （PWTs） were measured at different time points to assess pain transition and the effect of EA. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the activation of microglia marker （Iba1） and astrocyte marker （GFAP） in the spinal cord dorsal horn. Intrathecal injection of minocycline was also administered， and its impacts on Iba1 activation and PWTs were tested. After the experiment， skeleton and Sholl analyses were performed to analyze the morphology of microglia. To further examine the role of CSF-1， the factor was administered intrathecally to assess its influence on the effects of EA.ResultsIn the pain transition mouse model， the PWTs at various time points decreased significantly （P<0.01）. After modeling， the microglia was activated （P<0.01）， but the astrocyte was not. EA increased the PWTs in pain transition mice （P<0.01） and suppressed microglia activation （P<0.01）. Intrathecal minocycline administration inhibited microglia activation， reduced Iba1 expression in the spinal cord dorsal horn （P<0.01）， and effectively reversed the PWTs reduction （P<0.01）. Subsequent intrathecal CSF-1 injection promoted microglia activation and blocked the analgesic effect of EA in the model mice （P<0.01）.ConclusionMicroglia activation is critical in pain transition. EA can alleviate hyperalgesia in HP mice by inhibiting microglia activation.关键词：Hyperalgesia priming;Pain transition;Spinal cord dorsal horn;Microglia;Minocycline;Colony-stimulating factor 1;Electroacupuncture78|325|0更新时间：2026-07-17
- 摘要：ObjectiveTo observe the effect of acupuncture at the acupoint pair “Houxi”（SI3） and “Huantiao”（GB30） on the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （AKT）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） signaling pathway and autophagy of nucleus pulposus cells in a rat model of intervertebral disc degeneration （IDD）， so as to explore its underlying mechanism in delaying IDD.MethodsA total of 36 male SD rats were randomly assigned to sham operation， model and acupoint pair groups， with 12 rats in each group. The IDD model was established by annulus fibrosus puncture. After modeling， rats of the acupoint pair group received acupuncture stimulation of bilateral SI3 and GB30， with the acupuncture needles retained for 20 min， once daily for 14 consecutive days. Before and after modeling and after the intervention， the mechanical withdrawal reflex threshold （mechanic pain threshold） of the right foot was measured using VonFrey filaments， and the thermal pain threshold measured by using a thermal pain tester. The morphological characteristics of the intervertebral disc tissue were observed by H.E. staining. The contents of type Ⅱ collagen （Collagen Ⅱ）， Aggrecan， matrix metalloproteinase 3 （MMP3）， matrix metalloproteinase 13 （MMP13）， and transcription factor sex-determining region Y-box protein 9 （SOX9） in the nucleus pulposus tissue were detected by ELISA. The mRNA relative expression levels of SOX9 and MMP13 in the nucleus pulposus tissue were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. The positive expression of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3） in the nucleus pulposus tissue was detected by immunofluorescence staining. The expression levels of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway-related proteins and LC3- Ⅱ， Beclin1， and chaperone 1 （p62） in the nucleus pulposus tissue were detected by Western blot.ResultsAfter modeling， in contrast to the sham operation group， the model group showed a striking decrease in the mechanical and thermal pain thresholds on day 7 and 14， contents of Aggrecan， collagen Ⅱ and SOX9， and the expression levels of SOX9 mRNA and p62 protein， ratios of p-PI3K/PI3K， p-AKT/AKT， and p-mTOR/mTOR in the nucleus pulposus tissue （P<0.001， P<0.01）， and a notable increase in the contents of MMP3 and MMP13， and MMP13 mRNA expression level， LC3 immunofluorescence intensity， and protein expressions of LC3-Ⅱ and Beclin 1 （P<0.001）. Under light microscope， the nucleus pulposus cells in the model group was relatively small in the number and discorded in the distribution， with a large number of vacuoles and chaotic matrix arrangement， and the lumbar intervertebral discs showed obvious degeneration， and decrease in the height. In comparison with the model group， both the decrease and increase of the indexes mentioned above were all reversed in the acupoint pair group （P<0.001， P<0.01， P<0.05）. The results of H.E. stain displayed that in the acupoint pair group， the arrangement of the nucleus pulposus cells was more regular， and the number of vacuoles was reduced.ConclusionAcupuncture of acupoint pair SI3 and GB30 can mitigate pain and regulate the autophagy process of lumbar intervertebral disc nucleus cells， reduce the degree of degradation of cytoplasmic matrix， and thereby delay the progression of IDD， which may be associated with its function in activating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in IDD rats.关键词：Acupuncture;Houxi（SI3）;Huantiao（GB30）;intervertebral disc degeneration;PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway;Autophagy37|14|0更新时间：2026-07-17
- 摘要：ObjectiveTo observe the effect of electroacupuncture （EA） on the homeostasis of Th17/Treg cells and the expressions of key proteins of the janus kinase 1/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling pathway in myocardial tissue of rats with myocardial ischemia（MI）， so as to explore its mechanisms underlying amelioration of inflammatory injury following MI.MethodsSD rats were randomly divided into control， model， and EA groups， with 6 rats in each group. The MI model was established by subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol hydrochloride（5 mg∙kg-1∙d-1）， once daily for 7 consecutive days. After successful modeling， the rats of EA group received EA stimulation （2 Hz/10 Hz， 2 to 3 mA） of unilateral “Neiguan” （PC6） and “Zusanli” （ST36） for 20 min， once daily for 21 d. The standard limb lead II electrocardiogram （ECG） was recorded to analyze the height of ST and amplitude of T wave for assessing the degree of ischemic myocardial injury. The hematoxylin-eosin （H.E.） staining was used to observe histopathological changes in the myocardial tissue， and the Masson staining performed to examine the collagen deposition of the myocardial cells. The concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha （TNF-α）， interleukin （IL）-17， and IL-10 in the serum and myocardial tissue were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays （ELISA）， and the proportions of Th17 cells and Treg cells in the myocardial tissue analyzed using flow cytometry. The expression levels of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 （STAT3）， phosphorylated （p）- STAT3， forkhead box protein 3 （Foxp3）， Janus kinase 1 （JAK1）， retinoic acid-related orphan nuclear receptor-α（RORα）， suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 （SOCS3） proteins in the myocardial tissue were detected using Western blot.ResultsCompared with the control group， the model group had a significant increase in the ST height and T-wave amplitude， myocardial collagen volume fraction （CVF）， TNF-α and IL-17 contents in the serum and myocardial tissue， myocardial Th17/Treg ratio， and expression levels of myocardial JAK1， STAT3， p-STAT3， and RORα proteins （P<0.01， P<0.05）， and a striking decrease in the proportion of Treg cells， contents of myocardial and serum IL-10， and expression levels of myocardial FOXP3 and SOCS3 （P<0.01， P<0.05）. In contrast to the model group， both the increase and the decrease of the indexes mentioned above were reversed in the EA group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. H.E. staining showed necrosis and dissolution of a large number of myocardial cells， with increased cell spacing and blurred boundaries， inflammatory infiltration and fibrous tissue hyperplasia in the model group， which was relatively and significantly milder in the degree of myocardial injury in the EA group.ConclusionEA at PC6 and ST36 can improve myocardial inflammation injury in rats with MI， which may be related to its function in regulating the homeostasis of Th17/Treg cells in myocardial tissue through JAK1/STAT3 signaling， balancing the secretion of pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α， IL-17 and anti-inflammatory factor IL-10.关键词：Electroacupuncture;Myocardial ischemia;Inflammatory injury;Th17/Treg cells;JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway47|90|0更新时间：2026-07-17
- 摘要：ObjectiveTo observe the effect of electroacupuncture （EA） on olfactory function and the olfactory mucosa toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4）/NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 （NLRP3）/Caspase-1/gasdermin D （GSDMD） signaling pathway in rats with allergic rhinitis （AR） and olfactory dysfunction （OD）， so as to explore the mechanism of EA in improving olfactory function.MethodsThe AR rat model was established using the ovalbumin sensitization method. Rats with OD were screened using the buried food pellet test （BFPT） and randomly divided into a model group and an EA group， with 3 rats in each group. Three normal SD rats were taken as the control group. Rats of the EA group received EA at bilateral “Yingxiang” （LI20） for 10 min each time， once daily for 14 d. After EA intervention， nasal symptom scores were assessed in each group； BFPT was used to evaluate olfactory function； HE staining was used to observe the morphological changes of the olfactory mucosa； ELISA was used to detect serum contents of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin （IL）-1β， and IL-18； immunohistochemistry was used to detect the positive expressions of TLR4， NLRP3， GSDMD， phosphorylated nuclear factor-κB （p-NF-κB） p65， Caspase-1， and olfactory marker protein （OMP） in the olfactory mucosa.ResultsIn the model group ， the olfactory mucosal epithelium exhibited thinning with a reduced number of cell layers， mucosal cell necrosis and exfoliation， structural disruption， disorganized arrangement， and significant inflammatory cell infiltration. Compared with the control group， nasal symptom score was increased （P<0.01）， olfactory function was decreased （P<0.01）， serum levels of TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-18 and the expressions of TLR4， NLRP3， GSDMD， p-NF-κB p65， and Caspase-1 in the olfactory mucosa were increased （P<0.01）， while OMP expression was decreased （P<0.01） in the model group. After EA intervention， the EA group showed increased thickness of the olfactory epithelium and number of cell layers， reduced necrosis and shedding of mucosal cells and structural damage， and no significant inflammatory cell infiltration. Compared with the model group， the EA group showed a reduction in nasal symptom score （P<0.05）， improvement in olfactory function （P<0.01）， decreased serum contents of TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-18， as well as reduced expressions of TLR4， NLRP3， GSDMD， p-NF-κB p65， and Caspase-1 in the olfactory mucosa （P<0.05， P<0.01）， along with increased expression of OMP （P<0.01）.ConclusionEA may improve olfactory function in AR rats with OD by inhibiting the release of inflammatory factors and regulating pyroptosis mediated by the TLR4/NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD pathway.关键词：Allergic rhinitis;Olfactory dysfunction;Electroacupuncture;Pyroptosis53|124|0更新时间：2026-07-17
- 摘要：ObjectiveTo observe the role of leptin receptor （LepR） in the dorsal vagal complex （DVC） in electroacupuncture（EA） -mediated regulation of food intake， so as to explore its central mechanism underlying improvement of metabolic disorders.MethodsTen C57BLKS/JGpt mice were randomly selected as the normal group， and the remaining mice were fed with high-fat diet （HFD） to establish a obesity model. Successfully modeled mice were randomly divided into the HFD group and EA group， with 10 mice in each group. The EA group received EA stimulation （2 mA，2 Hz /15 Hz） at bilateral “Zusanli” （ST36） for 20 min， once daily， 6 times per week， for 5 weeks. The body weight， food intake， liver tissue wet weight， inguinal white adipose tissue （iWAT） weight， epididymal white adipose tissue （eWAT） and brown adipose tissue （BAT） weight， and blood glucose levels were measured. The serum insulin and leptin contents were measured using ELISA. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the co-expression of LepR and proto-oncogene c-Fos protein （c-Fos）， the expression of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （p-STAT3） in the nucleus tractus solitarii （NTS） and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve （DMV）， and the co-expression of choline acetyltransferase （ChAT） and c-Fos in DMV.ResultsCompared with the normal group， the HFD group showed a significant increase in the body weight， liver and adipose （iWAT， eWAT and BAT） wet weight， serum insulin and leptin contents， fasting blood glucose level， and glucose tolerance area under the curve （AUC， P<0.01）， the number of LepR and c-Fos co-expression neurons in the DMV and NTS， p-STAT3 positive and ChAT and c-Fos co-expression neurons in the DMV were remarkably decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In comparison with the HFD group， the body weight， food intake， liver and adipose wet weight， serum leptin content， fasting blood glucose， and glucose tolerance AUC were significantly decreased in the EA group （P<0.01）， while the number of LepR and c-Fos co-expression neurons in the DMV and NTS， p-STAT3 positive and ChAT and c-Fos co-expression neurons in the DMV were notably increased in the EA group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. No significant differences were observed in the random blood glucose content and p-STAT3 positive expression in the NTS among the three groups and in the serum level of insulin after EA.ConclusionEA at ST36 can inhibit food intake and reduce body weight in obesity mice， which may be associated with restoration of LepR-ralated signaling in the DVC and improvement of cholinergic vagal efferent neuronal activity in the DMV.关键词：Electroacupuncture;Obesity;Food intake;Dorsal vagal complex;Leptin receptor76|156|0更新时间：2026-07-17
- 摘要：ObjectiveTo observe the effect of electroacupuncture（EA） intervention on the interleukin-4 （IL-4）/Janus kinase 1 （JAK1）/signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 （STAT6） signaling pathway in colon tissue of chronic ulcerative colitis （UC） mouse model， in order to explore the potential mechanism of EA in promoting M2 macrophage polarization and improving intestinal mucosal barrier injury in UC mice.MethodsA total of 56 eight-week-old SPF BALB/c mice （28 males and 28 females） were stratified by sex and randomly assigned to blank group （15 mice） and modeling group （41 mice）. 3% DSS solution was used to induce the chronic UC model. The successfully induced mice were further divided into model， EA+11B11， and EA groups. Finally， 12 mice were included in each group. Mice in the EA+11B11 group received intraperitoneal injection of IL-4 inhibitor 11B11 （10 mg/kg） before EA， and mice in the EA group were treated with EA（10 Hz/50 Hz， 1 mA） at “Guanyuan” （CV4）， “Tianshu” （ST25）， “Zusanli” （ST36） and “Shangjuxu” （ST37） for 20 min. The treatments were performed once daily for 14 consecutive days. After the intervention， the following aspects were evaluated. ① Symptom improvement： including disease activity index （DAI） score， macroscopic morphology score in colon， and hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining to observe the pathological changes in colon tissue； ②Structure and function of intestinal mucosal barrier： including the observation of colonic tight junction structure by transmission electron microscopy， detection of intestinal leakage by in vivo imaging with fluorescein isothiocyanate-4D （FITC-4D）， detection of the positive expressions of tight junction protein ZO-1 and occludin in colon tissue by immunofluorescence staining； ③ Activation of IL-4/JAK1/STAT6 signaling pathway： detection of the relative expression levels of IL-4， p-JAK1/JAK1， and p-STAT6/STAT6 proteins in colon tissue by Western blot； ④ Markers of M2 macrophage polarization： detection of the CD206+/CD86+ ratio in mesenteric lymph nodes， and CD206 and arginase-1 （Arg-1） positive expressions in colon tissue by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence staining， respectively.ResultsCompared with the blank group， mice in the model group showed significantly increased DAI score and macroscopic morphology score （P<0.05）， disorganized colonic mucosal structure， severe intestinal fluorescence leakage， significantly decreased positive expressions of ZO-1 and occludin （P<0.05）， reduced relative expression levels of IL-4， p-JAK1/JAK1， and p-STAT6/STAT6 proteins（P<0.05）， as well as decreased CD206+/CD86+ ratio and positive expressions of CD206 and Arg-1 （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the EA group exhibited reduced DAI and macroscopic morphology scores （P<0.05）， improved colonic mucosal structure， and alleviated intestinal fluorescence leakage. The positive expressions of ZO-1 and occludin， and relative expression levels of IL-4， p-JAK1/JAK1， and p-STAT6/STAT6 proteins were significantly increased （P<0.05）， along with elevated CD206+/CD86+ ratio， and CD206 and Arg-1 positive expressions （P<0.05）. Compared with the EA group， the EA+11B11 group showed higher DAI and macroscopic morphology scores （P<0.05）， disrupted colonic mucosal structure， obvious intestinal fluorescence leakage， decreased positive expressions of ZO-1 and occludin， and relative protein expression levels of IL-4， p-JAK1/JAK1， and p-STAT6/STAT6 （P<0.05）， as well as reduced CD206+/CD86+ ratio， CD206 and Arg-1 positive expressions （P<0.05）.ConclusionEA can promote the repair of colonic mucosal barrier in mice with chronic UC and alleviate symptoms such as diarrhea and hematochezia， which may be associated with the activation of IL-4/JAK1/STAT6 signaling pathway and the inducing of M2 macrophage polarization in colon tissue.关键词：Electroacupuncture;Ulcerative colitis;Intestinal mucosal barrier;M2 macrophage;IL-4/JAK1/STAT6 signaling pathway85|62|0更新时间：2026-07-17
- 摘要：ObjectiveTo observe the effect of electroacupuncture （EA） at “Shangjuxu”（ST37） on the visceral hypersensitivity， expressions of colonic 5-hydroxytryptamine 7 receptor （5-HT7） and nerve growth factor （NGF） in rats with irritable bowel syndrome （IBS）， so as to explore its mechanisms underlying the improvement of visceral hypersensitivity of IBS.MethodsA total of 18 male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control， model and EA groups， with 6 rats in each group. The IBS model was established by intracolonic administration of 2，4，6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid （0.8 mL， 80 mg/kg， in 50% ethanol） for 4 weeks. EA （2 Hz， 1.0 mA） was applied to bilateral ST37 for 30 min， once daily for 10 d. The visceral hypersensitivity was assessed by visceromotor responses （abdominal withdrawal reflex ［AWR］ to 20， 40， 60， and 80 mmHg colorectal distension pressure ［CRD］， simultaneously）. Changes of the electromyography （EMG） activities of the musculus obliquus externus abdominis were synchronously recorded after CRD. Histopathological changes of the colonic tissue were observed after HE staining. The activity of myeloperoxidase （MPO， an inflammatory marker） in the colon tissue was detected by colorimetry. The co-expressions of 5-HT7， NGF and pan-neural marker （PGP9.5） in the colon tissue was detected by double immunofluorescence staining. The protein expression levels of colonic tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-10 （IL-10）， 5-HT7， NGF and tropomyosin receptor kinase A （TrkA） were detected by Western blot.ResultsIn comparison with the normal control group， the model group showed a striking increase in the AWR scores and EMG activities in response to 20， 40， 60， and 80 mmHg CRD （P<0.05）， suggesting a visceral hypersensitivity after CRD. In addition， the activity of MPO， expression levels of TNF-α， 5-HT7， TrkA and NGF proteins， and the positive cell rates of 5-HT7/PGP9.5 dual staining， and NGF/PGP9.5 dual staining in the colon tissue were significantly increased （P<0.05）， while the expression of colonic IL-10 protein was obviously down-regulated in the model group than in the normal control group （P<0.05）. After EA intervention， both the AWR scores and EMG activities were considerably down-regulated （P<0.05）， suggesting an apparent reduction of the visceral pain. Correspondingly， both the increase of the activity of MPO， expression levels of TNF-α， 5-HT7， TrkA and NGF proteins， and the positive cell rates of 5-HT7/PGP9.5 and NGF/PGP9.5 dual staining， and the decrease of IL-10 protein expression were reversed by EA （P<0.05）. HE staining displayed disordered arrangement of the epithelial cells of the colon mucosa， interstitial edema， and inflammatory cell infiltration in the submucosa in the model group. While in the EA group， the epithelial cells were comparatively closely arranged， the muscular layer structure was relatively complete， and the inflammatory cell infiltration was reduced.ConclusionEA at ST37 can alleviate visceral hypersensitivity and regulate low-grade inflammation in the colon tissue of IBS rats， which may be related to its functions in inhibiting the over-activation of 5-HT7 to down-regulate NGF expression， affecting the colonic nerve activities.关键词：Irritable bowel syndrome;Electroacupuncture;Visceral hypersensitivity;5-HT7 receptor;Nerve growth factor189|270|0更新时间：2026-07-17
- 摘要：ObjectiveTo observe the effect of electroacupuncture （EA） on motor function and skeletal muscle morphology in SAMP8 mice， and to explore the mechanisms of EA improving motor dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease from the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α （PGC-1α）/fibronectin type Ⅲ domain-containing protein 5 （FNDC5）/brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF） pathway.MethodsSAMP8 mice were randomly divided into model and EA groups， with 9 mice in each group. Nine anti-aging SAMR1 mice were used as control group. In the EA group， “Baihui”（GV20）， “Dazhui”（GV14） and “Shenshu”（BL23） were needled with EA for 20 min every day， 8 d as a course of treatment， with an interval of 2 d between courses. A total of 3 courses was proceeded. The motor function of mice was detected by grasping test， swimming test， suspension test and hind limb clamping test. The morphological structure of gastrocnemius muscle was observed by HE staining. The positive expressions of PGC-1α， FNDC5 and BDNF in gastrocnemius muscle were observed by immunohistochemical staining. The expression levels of PGC-1α， FNDC5 and BDNF mRNAs in gastrocnemius muscle and cerebral motor cortex were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. The expression levels of PGC-1α， FNDC5 and BDNF proteins in gastrocnemius muscle and cerebral motor cortex were detected by Western blot.ResultsCompared with the control group， the peak grip strength， average and maximum swimming speed， and suspension test score of the model group were significantly decreased （P<0.01）， and the hind limb clamping test score was significantly increased （P<0.01）. The gastrocnemius muscle fibers were loose and irregularly arranged， the spacing was widened and the cytoplasmic staining was uneven. The positive expression area ratios of PGC-1α， FNDC5 and BDNF in gastrocnemius muscle were significantly decreased （P<0.01）， and the relative expression levels of PGC-1α， FNDC5 and BDNF mRNAs and proteins in gastrocnemius muscle and cerebral motor cortex were significantly decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the peak grip strength， average and maximum swimming speed， and suspension test score of the EA group were significantly increased （P<0.01）， and the hind limb clamping test score was significantly decreased （P<0.01）. The muscle fibers were intact and arranged regularly， the spacing was narrowed， and the cytoplasmic staining was uniform.The positive expression area ratios of PGC-1α， FNDC5 and BDNF were significantly increased （P<0.01）， and the relative expression levels of PGC-1α， FNDC5 and BDNF mRNAs and proteins in gastrocnemius muscle and cerebral motor cortex were significantly increased （P<0.01， P<0.05）. The correlation analysis results of PGC-1α， FNDC5 and BDNF mRNA expression in gastrocnemius and cerebral motor cortex showed a highly positive correlation （r>0.70， P<0.01）.ConclusionEA can improve motor dysfunction and skeletal muscle morphology in SAMP8 mice， and its mechanism may be related to up-regulation of PGC-1α， FNDC5 and BDNF expressions in gastrocnemius and cerebral motor cortex.关键词：Alzheimer’s disease;Electroacupuncture;Motor dysfunction;PGC-1α/FNDC5/BDNF pathway59|34|0更新时间：2026-07-17
- 摘要：ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical efficacy of separated moxibustion in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis （RA） and related negative emotions based on gut microbiota， so as to explore its potential mechanism of action.MethodsA total of 70 RA patients were randomly divided into a control group （n=35， 2 cases dropped off， 3 cases were excluded） and an observation group （n=35， 3 cases dropped off， 2 cases were excluded）， and 30 healthy participants who underwent physical examination during the same period were randomly enrolled as the normal group. The control group was given conventional drug therapy； the observation group was additionally treated with separated moxibustion at bilateral Zusanli （ST36）， Shenshu （BL23） and Ashi points on the basis of the control group， once every other day， 3 times a week， for 5 consecutive weeks. The scores of disease activity score in 28 joints （DAS28）， visual analogue scale （VAS） for pain， morning stiffness， gastrointestinal symptom rating scale （GSRS）， self-rating anxiety scale （SAS）， and self-rating depression scale （SDS） were compared between the control group and observation group before and after treatment. 16S ribosomal RNA （rRNA） gene sequencing was used to detect the composition structure and relative abundance of gut microbiota in the 3 groups before and after treatment. ELISA was adopted to measure the serum contents of lipopolysaccharide （LPS）， lipopolysaccharide-binding protein （LBP）， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， 5-hydroxytryptamine （5-HT）， and insulin-like growth factor-1 （IGF-1） in the control and observation groups before and after treatment.ResultsCompared with the baseline in the same group， the scores of DAS28， VAS， GSRS， SAS， SDS， as well as serum contents of LPS， LBP， TNF-α， IL-1β and IL-6 were significantly decreased in both the control and observation groups after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the reductions in the observation group were more significant than those in the control group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In contrast， morning stiffness score was significantly decreased， and serum contents of 5-HT and IGF-1 were significantly increased in the observation group after treatment compared with baseline and those in the control group after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Before treatment， compared with the normal group at the same time point， the α -diversity of gut microbiota （Chao1， Ace， Sobs， Shannon indices） and the abundances of beneficial bacteria （Bacteroidota， Faecalibacterium， Bacteroides， Bifidobacterium） in the observation and control groups were significantly lower （P<0.01）， while the Firmicutes/Bacteroidota （F/B） ratio and the abundances of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria （Firmicutes， Prevotella， Proteobacteria， Actinobacteriota， Escherichia-Shigella， Klebsiella） were significantly higher （P<0.01）. Microbiota clustering analysis showed significant differences between the observation/control groups and the normal group. After treatment， all the above indicators were improved in observation/control groups， and the observation group showed significantly better outcomes in increasing α -diversity， restoring beneficial bacteria abundance， and reducing F/B ratio and pathogenic bacteria abundance than the control group （P<0.01， P<0.05）.ConclusionSeparated moxibustion combined with conventional drugs exerts superior clinical efficacy to monotherapy with conventional drugs in relieving joint pain， improving gastrointestinal symptoms， and alleviating anxiety and depression in RA patients. Its mechanism may be associated with regulating gut microbiota diversity， optimizing microbiota structure， reducing inflammatory factor levels， and improving neurotransmitter metabolism.关键词：Rheumatoid arthritis;Moxibustion;Gut microbiota;Negative emotions;Anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects84|128|0更新时间：2026-07-17
- 摘要：ObjectiveBased on the vessel-collateral theory， “qi deficiency and blood stasis leading to collateral obstruction and accumulation”， electroacupuncture was delivered in patients with ventricular remodeling after percutaneous coronary intervention （PCI） for acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction （STEMI）， and the clinical efficacy was evaluated.MethodsA prospective randomized controlled design was adopted. Eighty patients with cardiac insufficiency after STEMI-PCI （qi deficiency and blood stasis） were enrolled and randomly assigned to a control group （40 cases， with 2 cases dropped out） and an electroacupuncture group （40 cases， with 2 cases dropped out）. In the control group， the standardized western medication was administered. In the electroacupuncture group， on the basis of the regimen as the control group， electroacupuncture was operated at Neiguan （PC6）， Danzhong （CV17）， Shenmen （HT7）， Qihai （CV6）， Xuehai （SP10） and Zusanli （ST36） with dense-disperse wave， at a frequency of 2 Hz/100 Hz， 30 min per session， once every other day， for 8 consecutive weeks. Three-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography was used to detect cardiac function indicators： left ventricular ejection fraction （LVEF） and global longitudinal strain （GLS）， and cardiac structural indicators： left ventricular end-diastolic volume （LVEDV） and left ventricular end-systolic volume （LVESV） in both groups before and after treatment. ELISA was used to detect the serum levels of cardiac fibrosis markers： soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 （sST2） and galectin-3 （Gal-3）； immunoturbidimetry was used to detect the heart failure marker： N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide （NT-proBNP）. Changes in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores were compared and the safety was evaluated in the two groups.ResultsCompared with the control group， the electroacupuncture group showed the increase in LVEF and absolute value of GLS （P<0.01， P<0.001） and the decrease in LVEDV and LVESV （P<0.01， P<0.001） after treatment； serum fibrosis markers （sST2， Gal-3） levels were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， the serum heart failure marker （NT-proBNP） level was decreased （P<0.001）， and the scores of TCM symptoms were improved （P<0.01， P<0.001）. Gompared with before treatment， both groups showed improvement （P<0.001） in the above indicators after treatment. No serious adverse event was reported.ConclusionElectroacupuncture may conduce to ameliorating cardiac functions and ventricular remodeling indicators in patients after STEMI-PCI， which is probably related to the modulation of cardiac fibrosis markers in serum.关键词：Collateral theory;Electroacupuncture;Acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction;Ventricular remodeling;Myocardial fibrosis97|208|0更新时间：2026-07-17
- 摘要：ObjectiveTo observe the effect of acupuncture of “twelve hand and foot acupoints” （in fact “12 acupoints on the hands and feet”） combined with neural mobilization intervention （a manual treatment method that directly applies force to some related nerve tissue through the placement and movement of multiple joints） on the limb motor function and quality of life in patients with cerebral infarction （CI） hemiplegia of qi-deficiency and blood-stasis type.MethodsNinety-eight patients with CI hemiplegia of qi-deficiency and blood-stasis type were randomly divided into a neural mobilization group （49 cases， 2 cases dropped out） and a combination （acupuncture plus neural mobilization） group （49 cases， 3 cases dropped out） using a random number table method. All patients underwent basic treatment and rehabilitation training， and those of the neural mobilization group received various manipulations at different portions of the body related to the innervation of radial nerve， median nerve， ulnar nerve， sciatic nerve， common peroneal nerve， tibial nerve and femoral nerve through the placement and movement of multiple joints. The patients of the combination group received manual acupuncture stimulation of 12 acupoints （including bilateral Neiguan ［PC6］， Hegu ［LI4］， Quchi ［LI11］， Yanglingquan ［GB34］， Zusanli ［ST36］ and Sanyinjiao ［SP6］， with the acupuncture needles retained for 30 min in every session of treatment） on the basis of the neural mobilization. The treatment was conducted once daily， 5 d a week for 4 weeks. The degree of neurologic impairment was assessed by China stroke scale （CSS）. The score of qi-deficiency and blood-stasis syndrome was given according to “quantitative scoring scale for qi-deficiency and blood-stasis syndrome”. The limb motor function was assessed using Fugl-Meyer assessment scale （FMA）. The blood plasma viscosity and fibrinogen level were detected using a blood rheology analyzer. The score of quality of life was assessed using the stroke-specific quality of life scale （SS-QOL）.ResultsAfter 4 weeks of treatment， the CSS score， the score of qi-deficiency and blood-stasis syndrome， plasma viscosity and fibrinogen level were significantly lower in both groups than those pre-treatment （P<0.05）， with the combination group showing obviously lower values than the neural mobilization group （P<0.05）. The FMA score and SS-QOL score were considerably increased in both groups compared with those pre-treatment （P<0.05）， and were strikingly higher in the combination group than in the neural mobilization group （P<0.05）.ConclusionAcupuncture of “twelve hand and foot acupoints” combined with neural mobilization can effectively regulate blood rheology， improve symptoms and limb motor function， and raise the quality of life in patients with hemiplegia of qi-deficiency and blood-stasis type.关键词：Cerebral infarction;Hemiplegia;Acupuncture;Twelve hand and foot acupoints;Nerve mobilization;Limb function;Quality of life95|81|0更新时间：2026-07-17
- 摘要：Alzheimer’s disease （AD） is a common neurodegenerative disorder， and brain energy metabolism disorders are closely related to the onset of AD. Acupuncture-moxibustion is one of the effective treatments for AD， which can significantly improve AD symptoms and slow down the progression of the disease. The mechanism of its action has also been continuously studied. This article summarizes the relevant research on acupuncture-moxibustion regulating brain energy metabolism to improve AD. The results show that acupuncture-moxibustion mainly improves AD brain energy metabolism disorders from the following aspects： 1） regulating glucose metabolism disorders （promoting glucose transport， increasing glucose uptake and utilization， and regulating glycolytic activity in the brain）， 2） regulating mitochondrial structure and dysfunction （improving mitochondrial structure and dynamics， enhancing electron transfer chain activity and ATP production， inhibiting abnormal opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pores）， 3） improving insulin resistance and damage to the insulin signaling pathway， and 4） restoring amino acid and lipid metabolic imbalance. It plays a role in neuroprotection and delaying the progression of the disease.关键词：Acupuncture-moxibustion;Alzheimer’s disease;Energy metabolism;Review109|138|0更新时间：2026-07-17
- 摘要：Vascular dementia （VD） is a common cognitive impairment syndrome， for which there is currently no effective treatment. As a distinctive acupuncture therapy founded by Professor Jin Rui， the intelligence three-needling （Zhisanzhen， a specific set of 3 acupuncture points） selects the acupoints Shenting （GV24） and bilateral Benshen （GB13）， and has shown significant clinical efficacy in improving cognitive function in patients with vascular dementia. This article systematically reviewed the research progress of intelligence three-needling in treating vascular dementia from both clinical and mechanistic perspectives： （1） Clinically， intelligence three-needling， applied via manual acupuncture or electroacupuncture， either alone or in combination with medication and rehabilitation training， can effectively improve patients’ scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination and Hasegawa Dementia Scale， as well as their daily living abilities. （2） Mechanistically， intelligence three-needling exerts multi-target and multi-pathway neuroprotective effects， including reducing neurotoxic substances such as homocysteine and β-amyloid， inhibiting neuroinflammatory responses， modulating synaptic plasticity-related proteins， improving cerebral blood flow perfusion， and promoting neuronal repair and functional recovery by regulating the Eph/ephrin signaling pathway and GABAergic system.关键词：Vascular dementia;Intelligence three-needling;Clinical research;Molecular mechanism88|47|0更新时间：2026-07-17
- 摘要：Obesity is a chronic metabolic syndrome， and unhealthy lifestyles contribute to a continuous rise in its prevalence. As a non-pharmacological intervention with mild adverse reactions， electroacupuncture has achieved favorable therapeutic effects on obesity and its complications in recent years. This paper reviews studies on the mechanisms of electroacupuncture for obesity over the past decade. Electroacupuncture exerts weight-reducing effects via multiple targets and pathways， including regulating appetite-related neurons and neuropeptides in the hypothalamus， facilitating browning of white adipose tissue and lipid metabolism modulation， maintaining intestinal flora homeostasis， alleviating inflammatory responses and improving insulin resistance. By summarizing research advances in relevant mechanisms， this review aims to provide novel theoretical evidence and therapeutic strategies for electroacupuncture in the treatment of obesity and associated disorders.关键词：Electroacupuncture;Obesity;Appetite;Lipid metabolism;Inflammation;Insulin resistance;Gut microbiota40|17|0更新时间：2026-07-17
- 摘要：Through a brief review of early meridian theories and their historical development， it is deemed that anatomical evidence played a pivotal role in the formation and evolution of the theory of meridian system. Based on the developmental trajectory of meridians and integrated with modern biological evidence， the authors propose that both the nerves and blood vessels are the core components of the meridian system. In the context of the contemporary era， clarifying and emphasizing the core component of the meridian system holds significant guiding significance for explaining and expressing meridian phenomena using modern scientific language， as well as constructing an open and self-consistent modern acupuncture knowledge system.关键词：Meridian system;Core component;Evolution course of meridian system;Anatomical evidence;Blood vessel;Nerve135|186|0更新时间：2026-07-17
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