针刺研究最新文献

{"title":"[Research progress of acupuncture in attenuating depression via regulating hippocampal neuroplasticity].","authors":"Ji-Yu Zhao, Gong-Ming Yuan, Pei-Yun Li, Yuan Xu, Yong-Ming Guo, Yi-Nan Gong","doi":"10.13702/j.1000-0607.20231134","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13702/j.1000-0607.20231134","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Acupuncture has a significant effect on depression. The paper reviews the mechanism of acupuncture in treatment of depression based on hippocampal neuroplasticity from the relevant articles published in recent years from 3 aspects, i.e. promoting neuronal regeneration, improving synaptic plasticity efficiency, and repairing astrocytes structure and function. Acupuncture can regulate neural plasticity at multiple levels. It can not only directly repair the structure of neurons and glial cells through acupoint stimulation, but also indirectly participate in the regulation of neural plasticity through monoamine neurotransmitters, glutamate receptors, and related protein-mediated signaling pathways.</p>","PeriodicalId":34919,"journal":{"name":"针刺研究","volume":"50 4","pages":"439-447"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144039069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Effect of electroacupuncture of \"Jiaji\"(EX-B2) on autophagy and apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells in degenerative intervertebral disc rabbits based on PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway].","authors":"Min Wang, Yan-Lin Zahng, Jing Zou, Guo-Fu Huang, Tuo Zhang, Xiao-Han Ding, Lin-Hao Xia","doi":"10.13702/j.1000-0607.20240194","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13702/j.1000-0607.20240194","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) of bilateral \"Jiaji\" (EX-B2) on autophagy, apoptosis and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway of nucleus pulposus cells in rabbits with intervertebral disk degeneration (IVDD), so as to explore its possible mechanisms underlying improvement of IVDD.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 18 male New Zealand rabbits were randomly and equally divided into sham operation, model and EA groups. The IVDD model was established by axial disc compression, and the modeling effect was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). EA (2 Hz/15 Hz, 1 mA) was applied to bilateral \"Jiaji\" (EX-B2) of L4-L5 for 20 min, once daily, 6 times a week for 4 weeks. The general condition and body weight change in each group were recorded. The morphology of nucleus pulposus was observed after H.E. staining. The ultrastructure of nucleus pulposus cells was observed by using transmission electron microscope. The apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The expressions of Bax, Bcl-2, Beclin1, light chain 3 (LC3), autophagy-related protein 5 (Atg5), p62 and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway proteins were detected by Western blot.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Compared with the sham operation group, the general condition of IVDD rabbits was poorer, with decreased MRI signal of intervertebral disc, destruction and necrosis of nucleus pulposus cells, damage of nucleus pulposus cell matrix, and blurred organelles, and the apoptosis rate, expression levels of Bax, Beclin1 and Atg5 proteins and the ratio of LC3- Ⅱ/LC3- Ⅰ were significantly increased (<i>P</i><0.01, <i>P</i><0.05), while the body weight, expressions of Bcl-2 and p62, p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT and p-mTOR /mTOR considerably decreased (<i>P</i><0.01) in the model group. In contrast to the model group, the general condition of the rabbits was improved after EA, with enhanced MRI signal of intervertebral disc, fewer mitochondrial autophagosomes, slightly normal mitochondrial construction, etc., and modeling-induced increase of apoptosis rate, the expression levels of Bax, Beclin1 and Atg5 proteins and the ratio of LC3-Ⅱ/LC3- Ⅰ , and decrease of body weight, the expression levels of Bcl-2, p62, and p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT and p-mTOR /mTOR were all reversed in the EA group (<i>P</i><0.01, <i>P</i><0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>EA stimulation of EX-B2 can delay IVDD by regulating apoptosis and autophagy of nucleus pulposus cells in the intervertebral disc in IVDD rabbits, which may be related to its function in activating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.</p>","PeriodicalId":34919,"journal":{"name":"针刺研究","volume":"50 4","pages":"411-418"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144051229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Effect of electroacupuncture on the primary input level of dorsal root ganglion neurons under different stimuli observed by <i>in vivo</i> calcium imaging].","authors":"Ni-Nan Zhang, Xin-Yan Gao, Kun Liu, Qing-Quan Yu, Yang-Shuai Su, Xiao-Yu Wang, Zhi-Yun Zhang, Xiang-Hong Jing","doi":"10.13702/j.1000-0607.20240065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13702/j.1000-0607.20240065","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the neuronal activity of primary afferent dorsal root ganglion (DRG) caused by different mechanical stimuli such as brush, clamp [clamping hind paw or \"Zusanli\" (ST36) acupoint] or stimulation at different temperatures (43 ℃, 51 ℃, 4 ℃), so as to explore the interaction between EA signals and different primary afferent signals at the DRG level.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The strength threshold of activated A fiber was determined by electrophysiological technique. DRG neurons were labeled by intrathecal injection of AAV9 virus, and the response of DRG neurons to different primary afferent stimuli was observed and recorded by calcium imaging. EA (0.5 mA, 0.2 ms, 2 Hz) was applied to \"Zusanli\" (ST36) on the right side for 10 min. The changes of the number, percentage of neurons of different sizes and fluorescence intensity of DRG neurons activated under different stimulation before and after EA were compared.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Clamping stimulation, brush stimulation, or different temperature stimulation could all activate DRG neurons of large, medium, and small classes. EA at ST36 could significantly decrease the percentage of activated small neurons and large neurons in DRG induced by clamping the hind paw (<i>P</i><0.05), and reduce the fluorescence intensity of neurons with different diameters (<i>P</i><0.000 1), suggesting that EA could suppress the neuronal activity induced by noxious mechanical stimulation of the hind paw. However, EA at ST36 had no significant effect on the percentage of activated DRG neurons and fluorescence intensity caused by clamping the anterior tibial muscle. Meanwhile, EA at ST36 could significantly reduce the percentage of activated neuron in DRG induced by brush stimulation (<i>P</i><0.05), and reduce the fluorescence intensity of neurons with different diameters (<i>P</i><0.000 1). In temperature stimulation, EA could significantly inhibit the fluorescence intensity of DRG neurons under 4 °C cold stimulation (<i>P</i><0.01), but had no significant effect on the percentage and fluorescence intensity of DRG neurons activated by 43 °C and 51 °C.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>EA at ST36 can inhibit the nociceptive mechanical input of the hind paw and the input of 4 °C cold stimulation.</p>","PeriodicalId":34919,"journal":{"name":"针刺研究","volume":"50 4","pages":"357-365"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144027461","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Effect of mild moxibustion at Jiuwei (CV15) on the diaphragm and postural control ability of patients after recovery from stroke complicated with pulmonary infection: a randomized controlled trial].","authors":"Jia-Xin Cai, Mei-Qing Huang, Wen-Qiang Zhou, Yu-Ping Liu, Zhen-Mei Ling","doi":"10.13702/j.1000-0607.20240659","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.13702/j.1000-0607.20240659","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To observe the effect of mild moxibustion at Jiuwei (CV15) on the ultrasonic parameters of the diaphragm and postural control ability of patients after recovery from stroke complicated with pulmonary infection.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Eighty patients were randomly divided into control group (40 cases, with 5 cases dropped out) and experimental group (40 cases, with 4 cases dropped out). The control group was given rehabilitation training, routine internal medicine and acupuncture treatments, while the experimental group was given mild moxibustion at CV15 with moxa sticks on the basis of the control group, 15 minutes each time, once a day, 5 times a week for a total of 4 weeks. Before and after treatment, the diaphragm thickness (DT), the diaphragm thickening fraction (DTF), the diaphragm excursion (DE) and the diaphragm contraction velocity (DCV) during quiet breathing and deep breathing were measured by musculoskeletal ultrasound, respectively. The trunk impairment scale (TIS) and the postural assessment scale for stroke survivors (PASS) scores of the patients were evaluated before treatment, 2 weeks after treatment, and 4 weeks after treatment.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Compared with the same group before treatment, the DTF was increased (<i>P</i><0.05), the DE during quiet breathing and deep breathing both increased (<i>P</i><0.05), the DCV during deep breathing increased (<i>P</i><0.05) after treatment, and the TIS and PASS scores increased (<i>P</i><0.05) 2 weeks and 4 weeks after treatment of patients in both groups;the DT increased (<i>P</i><0.05), and the DCV during quiet breathing increased (<i>P</i><0.05) of patients in the experimental group. Compared with the control group at the same time point, the DTF increased (<i>P</i><0.05), the DCV during quiet breathing increased (<i>P</i><0.05), the DE and DCV during deep breathing both increased (<i>P</i><0.05) after treatment, and the TIS and PASS scores increased (<i>P</i><0.05) 4 weeks after treatment of patients in the experimental group.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Mild moxibustion at CV15 can effectively improve the DTF, DE during deep breathing, and DCV during quiet breathing and deep breathing of patients recovered from stroke complicated with pulmonary infection, and improve the postural control ability of patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":34919,"journal":{"name":"针刺研究","volume":"50 4","pages":"426-432"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144013908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Joss-stick moxibustion reduces inflammatory response of acute eczema by inhibiting IL-6/STAT3 signaling, and balancing Th17/Treg to normalize filaggrin and Caspase-14 levels in rats].","authors":"Xin-Ying Li, Ying-Ying Zhao, Zhi-Jie Li, Hui-Xin Long, Xiao-Yan Tang, Hao-Tian Li, Zi-Yang Zhou, Xing-Jun Han","doi":"10.13702/j.1000-0607.20231124","DOIUrl":"10.13702/j.1000-0607.20231124","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To investigate the effect of joss-stick moxibustion on the balance of helper T cell 17 (Th17)/regulatory T cell (Treg) through interleukin-6 (IL-6)/signal transduction and transcriptional activator 3 (STAT3) pathway in acute eczema (AE) rats.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 24 male SD rats were randomly divided into blank control, AE model, boric acid solution (BAS) washing, and moxibustion groups, with 6 rats in each group. The AE model was established by external application of 7% dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB, 100 μL) to the abdominal skin once for the first day, 3 days later, the 5% DNCB to the right back sin, every three days for 3 times. Rats of the blank control group received external application of distilled water at the skin and those of the BAS washing group received external application of 3% BAS solution wet packing. Rats of the moxibustion group received local heat stimulation of joss-stick moxibustion at the injured skin locus for 30 min, once a day, 5 days a week, for 2 weeks. At the end of the experiments, the injured skin (on the right side of the back) and the healthy skin on the left side of the back were sampled using a round puncher (6 mm in diameter) for calculating the skin swelling degree. The inhibition rate equals to the skin swelling degree /weight of the healthy skin×100%. The content of serum IL-6 was detected using ELISA , the expression levels of STAT3 and ROR-γt mRNAs in the injured skin tissue were detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, and the expression levels of p-STAT3, ROR-γt, and Foxp3 protein were detected using Western blot. The immunoactivities of filaggrin (FLG) and Caspase-14 in the injured skin tissue were detected by immunohistochemistry.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Compared with the blank control group, the topical skin swelling degree, inhibition rate, serum IL-6 content, expression levels of STAT3 and ROR-γt mRNAs, and p-STAT3, ROR-γt protein expression levels were significantly increased (<i>P</i><0.01, <i>P</i><0.05), while the expression level of Foxp3 protein and the immunoactivities of FLG and Caspase-14 were markedly down-regulated (<i>P</i><0.01) in the model group. In comparison with the model group, both the increase and decrease of the aforementioned 10 indexes after the modeling were reversed in the BAS washing and moxibustion groups (<i>P</i><0.01, <i>P</i><0.05). No significant differences were found between the BAS washing and moxibustion groups in the abovementioned 10 indexes.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Joss-stick moxibustion can reduce the inflammatory response in AE rats, which may be related to its functions in suppressing the overexpression of IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway to promote the restoration of Th17/Treg balance, thus normalizing the levels of FLG and Caspase-14.</p>","PeriodicalId":34919,"journal":{"name":"针刺研究","volume":"50 3","pages":"295-301"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143658815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Effects of fermented white mustard seed plaster on airway immune balance and its inflammatory response mechanism in bronchial asthma rats].","authors":"Jin-Xia Mu, Qing Zhang, Yu-Ming Qu, Tian-Sheng Zhang, Chong-Yao Hao, Kai-Nan Xiao","doi":"10.13702/j.1000-0607.20230975","DOIUrl":"10.13702/j.1000-0607.20230975","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objectives: &lt;/strong&gt;To observe the effects of fermented white mustard seed plaster on the balance of T helper cell (Th) 1/Th2, Th17/T regulatory cell (Treg) immune balance in bronchial asthma (BA) rats, so as to explore the possible mechanism of fermented white mustard seed plaster in the treatment of BA.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;Healthy SD rats were randomly divided into blank, model, medication and acupoint application groups, with 10 rats in each group. BA model was prepared using ovalbumin sensitization and atomization. Rats in the acupoint application group were treated with fermented white mustard seed plaster at \"Dazhui\" (GV14), bilateral \"Feishu\" (BL13) and \"Fengmen\" (BL12) for 4 h;rats in the medication group were given intraperitoneal injection of 1 mg/kg dexamethasone sodium phosphate;both groups were treated once daily for 14 consecutive days. Behavioral observations and scoring were conducted on rats in each group before and after intervention. HE staining was performed to observe the pathological morphological changes of lung tissue. ELISA was used to detect the contents of interferon γ (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL)-4, IL-17, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and immunoglobulin E (IgE) in serum. real-time quantitive PCR was used to detect the mRNA levels of T-box transcription factor (T-bet), GATA binding protein 3 (GATA-3), retinoic acid-related orphan receptor γt (RORγt), and forkhead box protein 3 (Foxp3) in lung tissue. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of T-bet, GATA-3, RORγt, and Foxp3 in lung tissue.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;After treatment, compared with the blank group, the behavioral score was significantly increased (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01);the thickness of bronchial wall muscle layer increased with a large amount of inflammatory cell infiltration, thickening of alveolar wall, abnormal lung tissue structure, and severe lung consolidation;the contents of serum IL-4, IL-17, TNF-α, and IgE were significantly increased (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01), while the contents of serum IFN-γ and IL-10 were significantly decreased (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01);the mRNA and protein expression levels of GATA-3 and RORγt in lung tissue were increased (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01), while the mRNA and protein expression levels of T-bet and Foxp3 in lung tissue were decreased (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01) of rats in the model group. Compared with the model group, the behavioral score was significantly decreased (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01);the pathological morphological damage of lung tissue was significantly improved;the contents of serum IL-4, IL-17, TNF-α, and IgE were significantly decreased (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01, &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.05), while the contents of serum IFN-γ and IL-10 were significantly increased (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01, &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.05);the mRNA and protein expression levels of T-bet and Foxp3 in lung tissue were increased (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01), while the mRNA and protein expression levels of GATA-3 and RORγt in lung tissue were decreased (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01) of rats in the medicat","PeriodicalId":34919,"journal":{"name":"针刺研究","volume":"50 3","pages":"287-294"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143658244","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Research progress on the mechanisms of acupuncture in improving neurogenic bladder after spinal cord injury].","authors":"Jing Huang, Ya-Feng Ren, Bing Li, Zhi-Lan Zhang, Xiao-Meng Huang, Wen-Ya Shang","doi":"10.13702/j.1000-0607.20230650","DOIUrl":"10.13702/j.1000-0607.20230650","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The neurogenic bladder is a common manifestation of spinal cord injury. The occurrence and development of neurogenic bladder involves a variety of complex pathological mechanisms, including destruction of the structure and function of the detrusor muscles in the bladder tissue, abnormal excitatory conduction of bladder interstitial cells of Cajal, overactivation of the afferent C-fibers of the bladder, and loss of spinal cord neurons. It has been found that acupuncture is effective in the treatment of neurogenic bladder, and its underlying mechanisms are related to its functions in activating the bladder autophagy signaling pathway, modulating the expression of bladder fibroblasts molecules, regulating expression of proteins related to the contractile function of the detrusor muscles, stimulating excitatory conduction channel proteins on the Cajal interstitial cells of bladder, activating afferent C fibers within the bladder regulating spinal neuron regeneration, promoting the production of apoptotic factors in the spinal cord and bladder. In the present article, we summarized the research progress of the mechanism of neurogenic bladder after spinal cord injury and the mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion interventions, so as to provide reference for elucidating the pathogenesis of neurogenic bladder and the role of acupuncture treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":34919,"journal":{"name":"针刺研究","volume":"50 3","pages":"341-348"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143658874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Effect of moxibustion combined with chemotherapy on immune checkpoints in tumor tissue of breast cancer-bearing mice].","authors":"Fei-Cheng Zhang, Tian-Yu Gao, Chen-Xi Zhang, Ji-Juan Li, Xin-Yue Liang, Xiao-Qi Zhang, Chun-Sheng Jia, Li-Jia Pan","doi":"10.13702/j.1000-0607.20240144","DOIUrl":"10.13702/j.1000-0607.20240144","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objectives: &lt;/strong&gt;To observe the effects of moxibustion combined with chemotherapy on immune checkpoints including programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), T cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain (TIM-3) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) in the tumor tissue of breast cancer-bearing mice, so as to explore the effect and mechanisms of moxibustion combined with chemotherapy on breast cancer.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;Forty BALB/c female mice were randomly divided into model, chemotherapy, moxibustion and combination groups, with 10 mice in each group. 4T1 tumor cells were inoculated into the fat pad under the left fourth nipple of the mice to establish the breast cancer-bearing mice model. The chemotherapy group was injected intraperitoneally with doxorubicin (DOX) solution at 2.5 mg/kg once every 3 days;the moxibustion group received bilateral \"Zusanli\" (ST36) moxibustion with 2 moxa cones per point, treated every 2 days;the combination group received both DOX injection and moxibustion intervention. The above interventions lasted for 21 days. The body weight and tumor volume of the mice were recorded daily. HE staining was used to observe tumor tissue pathological morphology. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot were used to detect the positive expression and protein expression levels of PD-1, TIM-3, and CTLA-4 in the tumor tissue.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Compared with the model group after intervention, the body weight was increased (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01, &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.05), the tumor volume was decreased (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01), the pathological morphology of tumor tissue showed varying degrees of tumor cells degeneration, and the positive expression and protein expression levels of PD-1, TIM-3, and CTLA-4 in tumor tissue were decreased (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01, &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.05) of mice in the chemotherapy, moxibustion and combination groups. Compared with the chemotherapy group, the body weight of mice in the moxibustion group was higher (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01);the tumor volume of mice in the combination group was smaller (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01);the positive expression and protein expression levels of PD-1, TIM-3, and CTLA-4 were further reduced (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01, &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.05) of mice in the moxibustion and combination groups. Compared with the moxibustion group, the body weight was decreased (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01), the tumor volume was smaller (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01), the degree of tumor cell degeneration was higher, and the positive expression and protein expression levels of PD-1, TIM-3, and CTLA-4 were decreased (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01) of mice in the combination group.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;Moxibustion combined with chemotherapy shows more significant effects in inhibiting tumor growth in breast cancer-bearing mice compared to moxibustion or chemotherapy alone. It reduces the expression of PD-1, TIM-3, and CTLA-4 in tumor tissues, suggesting that lowering immune checkpoint expression levels may be one of the mechanisms by which moxibustion c","PeriodicalId":34919,"journal":{"name":"针刺研究","volume":"50 3","pages":"319-326"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143657914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Mechanism of electroacupuncture at \"Zusanli\"(ST36) in improving cognitive impairment in mice with systemic inflammation based on the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor pathway of hippocampal microglia].","authors":"Xiao-Mei Chen, Yu-Ting Huang, Yi-Chen Ke, Li-Na Pang, Qiu-Ling Huang, Yan-Yan Lan, Xiang-Mei Yu, Zhi-Fu Wang","doi":"10.13702/j.1000-0607.20241273","DOIUrl":"10.13702/j.1000-0607.20241273","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objectives: &lt;/strong&gt;To observe the effect of low-intensity electroacupuncture(EA) at \"Zusanli\"(ST36) on the hippocampal cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway and α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) of hippocampal microglia in mice with systemic inflammatory cognitive impairment, so as to investigate the central mechanism of EA in improving neuroinflammatory response and cognitive function.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into blank, model and EA groups (6 mice/group);another set of C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into blank, model, EA and EA+antagonist groups(6 mice/group);Cx3Cr1-Cre/ERT2 mice and α7nAChR&lt;sup&gt;fl/fl&lt;/sup&gt; mice were mated to construct transgenic mice with microglial α7nAChR knockout (EA+ knockout group, 6 mice), with the same litter negative mice used as non-knockout mice and randomly divided into blank, model+non-knockout and EA+non-knockout groups(6 mice/group). The systemic inflammatory cognitive impairment model was established by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 1 mg/kg). Mice in the EA group received EA at bilateral ST36 (dense-sparse wave, 1 Hz/20 Hz, 0.5 mA), for 30 minutes each time;mice in the EA+antagonist group received injection of α7nAChR antagonist methyllycaconitine citrate (MLA) into hippocampus. The episodic memory behavioral tests were used to observe the abilities of mice in new object exploration, object location change recognition and object temporal order change memory. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to observe the choline level in the hippocampal tissue. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of α7nAChR in the hippocampus. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expression of α7nAChR in hippocampal microglia and the activation of microglia. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in hippocampus, and ELISA was used to detect the contents of α7nAChR, inflammatory factors and microglial phenotypic markers in hippocampal tissue.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Compared with the blank group, the abilities of new object exploration, location change recognition and object temporal order change memory, the choline level in the hippocampus, the protein expression level and content of α7nAChR and its co-expression with microglial markers, and the contents of anti-inflammatory factor interleukin (IL)-10 and M2 macrophage marker arginase 1 (Arg1) of mice in the model group were decreased (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.001, &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01);while the expression of hippocampal ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba-1), the contents of M1 macrophage marker CD206, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), the content of pro-inflammatory factor IL-1β and the mRNA expression of TNF-α were increased (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.001, &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01). Compared with the model group, the above indexes in the EA group were reversed except for the ability of location change recogn","PeriodicalId":34919,"journal":{"name":"针刺研究","volume":"50 3","pages":"251-259"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143658816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"[Mechanism of electroacupuncture in improving cartilage tissue injury in rats with knee osteoarthritis by regulating miR-335-5p expression].","authors":"Hao Zhu, Xue-Hua Yan, Shuai Chen, Gai-Yue Zhang, Hao-Bin Zhang, Jin-Sheng Yang, Ying-Ying Wang","doi":"10.13702/j.1000-0607.20240617","DOIUrl":"10.13702/j.1000-0607.20240617","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objectives: &lt;/strong&gt;To observe the protective effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the knee joint cartilage tissue of rats with knee osteoarthritis (KOA), so as to explore the potential mechanism of miR-335-5p involved in the treatment of EA for KOA.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;A total of 42 adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into blank, model and EA groups, with 14 rats in each group. The model was established by injecting a sodium glutamate iodoacetate solution (80 μg/μL) into the right joint cavity. On the 15&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; day after the model establishment, rats in the EA group received EA intervention at \"Yanglingquan\" (GB34) and \"Xuehai\" (SP10) on the right side, and the needles were retained for 15 minutes. The intervention was carried out every other day for a total of two weeks. After the two-week intervention, the paw withdrawal mechanical threshold (PWMT) and paw withdrawal thermal latency (PWTL) of the rats were detected;a gait analyzer was used to detect the gait adaptability changes induced by pain;the pathological changes of the knee joint cartilage tissue were observed after hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining;qPCR and Western blot were used to detect the expression levels of miR-335-5p, Dickkopf related protein 1 (DKK-1), β-catenin, and matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13) mRNAs and proteins in the cartilage tissue respectively;immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the positive fluorescence expression of β-catenin in the right knee joint cartilage tissue.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;In the model group, HE staining showed a large area of chondrocyte necrosis, with the dissolution and disappearance of cell nuclei, accompanied by a macrophages-predominant inflammatory cell infiltration;cartilage surface defects in local areas, necrosis of trabecular bone and proliferation of fibrous tissue in local areas, and new capillary formation in the proliferative areas were also observed. In the EA group, pathological manifestations such as inflammatory cell infiltration and fibrous tissue proliferation were significantly alleviated. Compared with the blank group, the PWMT, PWTL, the support duration, footprint area, and average ground pressure of the right hind paw, and the mRNA and protein expressions of DKK-1 in the right knee joint cartilage tissue were decreased (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.001) in the model group, while the expressions of miR-335-5p, mRNA and protein expressions of β-catenin and MMP-13, and the fluorescence intensity of β-catenin in the right knee joint cartilage tissue were increased (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.001, &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01). All the above indicators in the EA group were all reversed (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.001, &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.05, &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt;&lt;0.01) in comparison with the model group.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;EA can significantly improve the pain symptoms of KOA rats, promote the recovery of motor function, and improve the pathological morphology of the knee joint cartilage tissue. This may be related to reg","PeriodicalId":34919,"journal":{"name":"针刺研究","volume":"50 3","pages":"310-318"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143658794","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}