Effect of electroacupuncture at ST36 on the cerebral metabolic kinetics of rheumatoid arthritis rats.

Electroacupuncture (EA) has been shown to enhance the recovery of symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis (RA); however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Both the pathogenesis of RA and the therapeutic effects of EA are closely associated with the metabolic activity of the brain. In this study, we investigated the effect of EA at the "Zusanli" acupoint (ST36) on a rat model of collagen-induced rheumatoid arthritis (CIA). The results demonstrated that EA effectively alleviated joint swelling, synovial hyperplasia, cartilage erosion, and bone destruction in CIA rats. Additionally, the metabolic kinetics study revealed a significant increase in the 13C enrichment of GABA2 and Glu4 in the midbrain of CIA rats treated with EA. Correlation network analysis showed that changes in Gln4 levels in the hippocampus were strongly associated with the severity of rheumatoid arthritis. Immunofluorescence staining of c-Fos in the midbrain's periaqueductal gray matter (PAG) and hippocampus demonstrated increased c-Fos expression in these regions following EA treatment. These findings suggest that GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons in the midbrain, along with astrocytes in the hippocampus, may play vital roles in the beneficial effects of EA on RA. Furthermore, the PAG and hippocampus brain regions hold potential as critical targets for future RA treatments. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the specific mechanism of EA in treating RA by elucidating the perspective of cerebral metabolism.

Effect of acupuncture therapy on vaccine-induced immune response in d-galactose-induced aging rats.

Objective: This study aimed to explore whether acupuncture and moxibustion can enhance the immune response by increasing the expression of the endogenous adjuvant HSP70 mRNA. Method: Forty Wistar rats were divided into four groups: model immune acupuncture group (A), model immune control group (B), normal immune acupuncture group (C), and normal immune control group (D). Model immune groups A and B were induced by injecting d-galactose for 6 weeks. Rats in groups A and C were then treated with low-frequency electroacupuncture (EA) at Zusanli (ST36), Guanyuan (CV4), and Baihui (GV20) and moxibustion for 3 weeks. Subsequently, all rats were observed for 2 more weeks. At the 12th week, diphtheria antitoxin titers were determined using the Vero cell trace neutralization method, CD4+T/CD8+T cell ratios in peripheral blood were examined by flow cytometry, and the relative expression of spleen cell HSP70 mRNA was measured by RT-PCR. Results: Compared with the normal immune control, the diphtheria antitoxin titer, CD4+T/CD8+T cell ratio, and expression of spleen cell HSP70 mRNA significantly decreased in the model immune control group (P < 0.01). However, the model immune acupuncture group showed a significant increase in antitoxin titer (P < 0.01) and elevated CD4+T/CD8+T cell ratio and HSP70 mRNA expression (P < 0.05) after EA and moxibustion intervention. Conclusion: Acupuncture and moxibustion may enhance the humoral immune response (diphtheria antitoxin titer) and cellular immune response (peripheral blood CD4+T/CD8+T cell ratio) by increasing the expression of the endogenous adjuvant HSP70 mRNA, suggesting that acupuncture may serve as a new vaccine adjuvant.

Effectiveness of acupuncture for irritable bowel syndrome: Protocol for a scoping review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

BACKGROUND: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional bowel disorder. Many systematic reviews/meta-analyses indicate that acupuncture and related therapies are effective for IBS. However, the robustness of the results in the systematic reviews and meta-analyses has not been evaluated. This scoping review aims to ascertain the credibility of current evidence of acupuncture therapy for IBS, to provide clinical research investigators with reliable information. METHODS: Searches of China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), China Biology Medicine disc (CBMdisc), and Wanfang Database since the establishment of the database to February 2022. Study selection and data extraction will be conducted by 2 reviewers, and the quality will be assessed by 2 trained reviewers. We will use Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews-2 (AMSTAR2) for methodological quality assessment, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for report quality assessment, Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation for the quality of evidence assessment, and the Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews for the bias assessment. RESULTS: The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: INPLASY202210117. CONCLUSION: This scoping review will provide comprehensive evidence of acupuncture for patients with irritable bowel syndrome. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This scoping review does not require ethical approval as it is a secondary assessment of available literature.