As an important content of alternative and complementary medicine

acupuncture therapy has been proved to be effective in relieving myocardial ischemia(MI).Authors of the present paper review recent progress of researches on acupuncture therapy in resisting MI from 1)improving cardiovascular function and promoting angiogenesis

and 2)protecting myocardial cells from further injury and reducing cellular apoptosis at different pathological stages of MI.Moreover

the authors discuss the characteristics of epigenetic regulation in the process of MI and cardiac repair including the methylating of DNA

modification of histone

remodeling of the chromatin

and micro-RNA expression

mediating cellular apoptosis

regeneration of myocardial blood vessels

etc.The authors hold that future studies on the underlying mechanisms of acupuncture therapy in the prevention and treatment of MI from epigenetics may be a new approach and a new direction.