Acupuncture in Medicine最新文献

{"title":"Acupuncture for postoperative weakness of ankle dorsiflexion: a case report.","authors":"Hao Li, Ming-Jie Li, Xin Zhou, Lu Ren","doi":"10.1177/09645284261433569","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/09645284261433569","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7257,"journal":{"name":"Acupuncture in Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"9645284261433569"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147759287","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of auriculotherapy in early postoperative rehabilitation after total knee arthroplasty: a prospective cohort study.","authors":"QinDong Mi, Fei Bao, XiaoLong Zhao, DeFang Zan, YuHao Liu, YunXi Xu","doi":"10.1177/09645284261434605","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/09645284261434605","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study investigated the effects of auriculotherapy on early postoperative rehabilitation after total knee arthroplasty (TKA).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A prospective cohort study was conducted from March to September 2024 at Peking Union Medical College Hospital and its affiliated consortium. Patients receiving auriculotherapy postoperatively were compared with a matched non-exposed group (selected by propensity score matching). The primary outcome was the change in knee joint active range of motion (AROM) from postoperative day (POD) 1 to POD 4 (Δ AROM). Secondary outcomes included Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) scale, patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) use, facial visual analog scale (F-VAS) and Tampa scale of kinesiophobia (TSK) scores, plus swelling measurements.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Data from a total of 110 patients was collected in this study, with 84 (42 matched pairs) included in the final analysis. Compared with the non-exposed group, the auriculotherapy group showed significantly greater improvements in Δ AROM (40.60 ± 11.69° vs 29.41 ± 13.64°, p < 0.001) and HSS scores (p = 0.004). The auriculotherapy group also pressed their PCA button fewer times (p = 0.047) and exhibited reduced supplemental analgesic use (p = 0.004) and lower TSK scores (p < 0.001). Knee circumference and swelling were significantly reduced in the auriculotherapy group (p < 0.05). Trend analysis indicated significant between-group differences and interaction effects for AROM and kinesiophobia (p < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Based on the findings of this observational study, auriculotherapy is associated with better early functional outcomes in early postoperative rehabilitation of patients after TKA. Randomized controlled trials are necessary to explore its potential effectiveness and underlying mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":7257,"journal":{"name":"Acupuncture in Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"9645284261434605"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147727969","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acupuncture regulates gut microbiota and metabolites in a rat model of chronic migraine.","authors":"Hao Zheng, Zhe Wang, Shi-Jie Wei, Li-Xia Huang, Meng Han, Yu-Kuan Zhang, Wen-Jun Bai, Jing Han","doi":"10.1177/09645284261423204","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/09645284261423204","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of acupuncture on a rat model of chronic migraine (CM) and explore the underlying mechanism of action from the perspective of the gut-brain axis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 24 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly allocated into control, model and acupuncture groups (<i>n</i> = 8 each). The CM model was established by intraperitoneal injection of nitroglycerin (NTG). Acupuncture was administered at GV20 and bilateral PC6/LR3/ST36 for rats in the acupuncture group once a day for 9 days. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in plasma. A combination of 16S rDNA sequencing and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomics was adopted to investigate the role of the gut-brain axis in migraine chronification and the effect of acupuncture on CM.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Acupuncture treatment significantly attenuated hyperalgesia in CM model rats and regulated serum levels of brain-gut peptides, including 5-HT, CGRP and VIP. Furthermore, the gut microbial community structure and metabolic profile changed in CM rats and acupuncture impacted the changes. Notably, acupuncture modulated 10 gut microbial genera and 13 fecal metabolites.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings suggest that the gut-brain axis may play an important role in the chronification of migraine, and the regulation of gut microbiota and metabolites may be one of the mechanisms underlying the analgesic effect of acupuncture in CM.</p>","PeriodicalId":7257,"journal":{"name":"Acupuncture in Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"9645284261423204"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147653471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of manual acupuncture on microglial polarization and the Sirt1/NF-κB pathway in a rat model of post-stroke depression.","authors":"Menghan Li, Xinming Yang, Dawei Ran, Yi Shu, Yu Wang, Shizhe Deng, Jiaxiao Zhou, Lei Shi, Yuzheng Du","doi":"10.1177/09645284261423203","DOIUrl":"10.1177/09645284261423203","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In the treatment of post-stroke depression (PSD), acupuncture has emerged as a therapeutic option; however, the exact mechanisms underlying its efficacy remain unclear. Prior research suggests acupuncture may improve PSD symptoms by regulating M1/M2 microglial polarization, reducing the release of inflammatory factors and inflammatory-associated damage.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>The aim of the present study was to explore whether manual acupuncture (MA) can mediate microglial polarization via the silence information regulator/nuclear factor κB (Sirt1/NF-κB) pathway, thereby reducing inflammatory responses in the brains of rats exhibiting PSD and improving depressive behavior.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Thirty male rats were divided into a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) group, PSD group, PSD + MA group, PSD + MA + Sirt1 inhibitor group, and PSD + MA + NS (normal saline) group. Acupuncture was applied 6 days a week for 4 weeks at GV26, GV20 and bilateral PC6 and SP6. In the PSD + MA + Sirt1 inhibitor group, nicotinamide (NAM), a specific inhibitor of Sirt1, was slowly injected into the frontal lobe with a stereotactic injector 1 h before acupuncture. Behavioral tests were conducted after modeling and intervention, including the sucrose preference test (SPT) and open field test (OFT), and body weight was monitored. Following the tests, specimens of the dorsolateral frontal lobe were taken to evaluate molecular markers. Immunofluorescence staining was employed to determine the expression levels of M1 microglial markers CD16/Iba1 and M2 microglial markers CD206/Iba1 in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. mRNA expression of CD16/intrinsic nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and CD206/arginase (Arg)-1 was detected by q-RT-PCR. Western blot analysis was used to quantify protein expression of Sirt1, total p65 and phosphorylated p65 (p-p65) proteins. Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels were quantified using ELISA.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Depression-like behavior of PSD model rats was reduced by MA. Acupuncture promoted transformation of microglia from M1 to M2 in the prefrontal lobe, thereby decreasing expression of pro-inflammatory factors (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) and increasing expression of anti-inflammatory IL-10 after PSD. In addition, expression of Sirt1 in the prefrontal lobe increased following MA, while expression of p65/p-p65 was reduced, indicating activation of the Sirt1/NF-κB pathway. These findings suggest that M1 to M2 microglial polarization was closely related to Sirt1/NF-κB pathway activation following MA.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>MA promoted the transformation of microglia from M1 to M2 in the prefrontal lobe of PSD rats, reduces the inflammatory response and improves depression-like behavior in rats. These effects were associated with activation of the Sirt/NF-κB pathway.</p>","PeriodicalId":7257,"journal":{"name":"Acupuncture in Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"100-112"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147324319","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electroacupuncture at ST25 combined with metformin improves intestinal function via the JAK/STAT pathway in a rat model of diabetes.","authors":"Xu Qian, Ke Pei, Yongwei Jiang, Bin Xu, Wei Wu","doi":"10.1177/09645284251410578","DOIUrl":"10.1177/09645284251410578","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Metformin (Met) is a first-line pharmacological treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The potential effect of combining electroacupuncture (EA) at ST25 (<i>Tianshu</i>) with Met in ameliorating intestinal injury remains largely unexplored.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We established wild-type (Control) and diabetic model groups that remained untreated (Model), received EA only (EA), received Met treatment only (Met) or received EA combined with Met (EA + Met), and compared markers of intestinal injury and insulin resistance, as well as effects on signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins and microRNAs.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>EA and Met treatment (alone and in combination) had positive effects on fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin levels, Homeostatic Model Assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) indices and stool number, while fecal water content was positively impacted by EA treatment (with or without concurrent Met) but not Met alone. Hematoxylin-eosin staining demonstrated that both EA alone and EA in combination with Met appeared to repair intestinal damage in the jejunum, ileum and colon. In addition, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed that serum interleukin 10 levels were restored in all treatment groups. Furthermore, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis revealed that EA at ST25 resulted in the activation of <i>STAT5A</i> in the jejunum, as well as <i>STAT5A</i>, <i>STAT5B</i> and <i>STAT6</i> in the ileum. Notably, in the EA + Met group, there was a specific enhancement of <i>STAT2</i>, <i>STAT3</i> and <i>STAT5B</i> in the colon, indicating segment-specific activation within distinct regions of the intestine.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>EA at ST25 may ameliorate intestinal injury via the Janus kinase (Jak)/STAT signaling pathway and is closely related to jejunal and ileal segments. These findings provide a theoretical basis for EA combined with medication.</p>","PeriodicalId":7257,"journal":{"name":"Acupuncture in Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"65-79"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146049533","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cervical epidural suppurative infection following acupuncture treatment of neck pain: a case report.","authors":"Yuan Zhou, Kejie Ji, Qiwang He, Qing Yu, Haiju Sun, Xiang Shi, Hongming Pan","doi":"10.1177/09645284251414148","DOIUrl":"10.1177/09645284251414148","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7257,"journal":{"name":"Acupuncture in Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"113-116"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146049565","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acupuncture for multiple sclerosis: a case report.","authors":"Yannan Zhao, Dezhong Peng","doi":"10.1177/09645284261415901","DOIUrl":"10.1177/09645284261415901","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7257,"journal":{"name":"Acupuncture in Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"117-119"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146096746","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of electroacupuncture on the micturition reflex and urethral closure in a rat model of stress urinary incontinence: the role of spinal 5-HT_2C receptor mediated signaling.","authors":"Biao Chen, Lili Liu, Jun Dai, Xiyuan Dong, Huiping Zhang, Yuan Chen","doi":"10.1177/09645284261415902","DOIUrl":"10.1177/09645284261415902","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture (EA) in a rat model of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) induced by vaginal distension (VD). The potential mechanisms underlying this process were also explored.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Virgin Sprague-Dawley rats underwent VD (to model SUI) or a sham operation, followed by EA or no treatment. Cystometry and leak point pressure (LPP) testing were employed to demonstrate the impact of EA on the micturition reflex and urethral closure function. mRNA expression of α_1A and α_1D adrenoceptors and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)_2C and 5-HT_2A receptors were examined in spinal segments using real-time qRT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The individual role of 5-HT_2A and 5-HT_2C receptors were distinguished with selective antagonists (MDL 100907 and SB 242084, respectively).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>EA treatment successfully reversed the decrease of LPP induced by VD without any significant effect on the micturition reflex in this rat model of SUI. VD did not change bladder basic pressure (BP), voided volume or bladder contraction. Multiple approaches including qRT-PCR, Western blotting and IHC revealed over-expression of 5-HT_2C and 5-HT_2A receptors but not α_1A or α_1D adrenoceptors in the L6-S2 spinal cord of these rats. Administration of the 5-HT_2C antagonist (SB 242084) largely eliminated EA-mediated mitigation of the decrease in LLP caused by VD, while the 5-HT_2A antagonist (MDL 100907) had no effect under these conditions.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>EA improves impaired urethral closure capacity induced by VD in female rats, and it appears that the 5-HT_2C receptor plays a critical role in this effect. It is reasonable to speculate that EA represents a promising treatment for SUI caused by childbirth trauma.</p>","PeriodicalId":7257,"journal":{"name":"Acupuncture in Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"90-99"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146163492","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electroacupuncture for the treatment of female bladder outlet obstruction: a case report.","authors":"Shenyi Huang, Weidong Yao, Li Wang","doi":"10.1177/09645284261421949","DOIUrl":"10.1177/09645284261421949","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7257,"journal":{"name":"Acupuncture in Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"120-122"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147324286","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electroacupuncture pretreatment regulates mitophagy in ULK1 knockout mice subjected to cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.","authors":"Cheng Hu, Yudi Zhou, Sha Li, Yaomei Cui, Menglin He, Rong Zou, Chenlu Mao, Weiqian Tian","doi":"10.1177/09645284251414435","DOIUrl":"10.1177/09645284251414435","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment can alleviate cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and mitochondrial impairment. However, the potential protective mechanism associated with mitophagy has not been well elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of EA on FUN14 domain-containing protein 1 (FUNDC1) and mitophagy in unc-51 like kinase 1 (ULK1) knockout mice after cerebral I/R injury.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>EA pretreatment was conducted at GV20 and GV26 before ischemia for 30 min over 5 consecutive days in ULK1 knockout mice that underwent modeling of cerebral I/R injury. Neurological function of the mice was assessed using Longa neurological deficit scoring. The area of cerebral infarction was measured by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium (TTC) staining. Mitochondrial structural alterations were observed under transmission electron microscopy, while the mitochondria were stained using MitoTracker Green and the lysosomes were stained with Lyso Tracker Red. Changes in mitochondrial membrane potential were detected by JC-1 staining, and alterations in autophagy-related protein or gene expression were examined using Western blot analysis, qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>EA-pretreated mice exhibited significantly decreased neurological deficit scores, cerebral infarct volumes and edema compared with the untreated I/R group of mice. EA pretreatment also reversed I/R-induced mitochondrial structural abnormalities and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. Furthermore, EA pretreatment upregulated p-mTORC1 compared with no treatment. Protein and mRNA expression of ULK1, FUNDC1 and mTORC1 did not significantly differ between the groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>EA pretreatment at GV20 and GV26 alleviated cerebral I/R injury and mitochondrial impairment in ULK1 knockout mice. Knockout of ULK1 did not completely eliminate the regulatory effect of EA.</p>","PeriodicalId":7257,"journal":{"name":"Acupuncture in Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"80-89"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146049699","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}