An mRNA sequencing analysis of the healing-promoting role of electroacupuncture a in rat skin wound model.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have confirmed that electroacupuncture can regulate the body's environment to treat a variety of diseases. However, there are few reports on the mechanism of electroacupuncture therapy for diseases involving skin injury. Transcriptome sequencing can reveal changes in gene expression within cells and the signaling pathways involved. In this study, we used transcriptome sequencing to study the molecular mechanisms by which electroacupuncture promotes the healing of skin lesions. METHODS: A total of 10 SD rats were divided into two groups of 5: a control group and an electroacupuncture treatment group. The wound-healing area was compared between the two groups after 3 and 14 days. Then, mRNA sequencing and bioinformatics were used to analyze the changes in gene expression profiles in skin tissue after electroacupuncture stimulation. RESULTS: (I) The wound area was significantly reduced after 3 and 14 days of electroacupuncture compared with the control group (P<0.05). (II) There was a total of 694 gene expression changes, 496 of which were upregulated and 198 of which were downregulated. Analysis of variable gene-related signaling pathways by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), identified immuneinflammatory response, cell proliferation, tissue remodeling, cell metabolism, graft-versus-host disease, antigen processing and presentation, Th17 cell differentiation, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, PPAR signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway and other signaling pathways were changed. CONCLUSIONS: Electroacupuncture can promote wound repair, as shown by the changes in gene expression profiles during the healing of skin wounds under electroacupuncture. This study provides a scientific basis that deepens the understanding of the mechanism underlying electroacupuncture.

The Mechanism of MAPK Signal Transduction Pathway Involved with Electroacupuncture Treatment for Different Diseases.

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal transduction pathway plays an important role in the regulation of various diseases, such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and takes part in anti-inflammatory effects, analgesic effects, protection against injury, and maintenance of gastrointestinal functions. Electroacupuncture therapy is an external therapy used in traditional Chinese medicine. By adding external electrical stimulation to traditional acupuncture, the stimulus gets doubled and the therapeutic efficacy gets enhanced accordingly. It combines the benefits of both acupuncture and electrical stimulation. In recent years, some studies have explored the molecular mechanisms of MAPK signal pathways involved with electroacupuncture treatment. Based on these recent studies, this article summarizes the mechanisms of MAPK signal transduction pathways involved with electroacupuncture treatment. This adds great value to the studies of molecular mechanisms of electroacupuncture treatment and also provides an effective reference for its clinical use.

[Effect of elongated-needle penetration intervention on spinal apoptosis and cell signal transduction in acute spinal cord injury rabbits].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of elongated-needle penetration (ENP) stimulation of "Zhibian" (BL 54), "Shuidao" (ST 28), "Qihai" (CV 6) and "Zhongji" (CV 3) on spinal nerve cell apoptosis and cellular signal transduction in spinal cord injury rabbits, so as to reveal its mechanism underlying improvement of spinal injury. METHODS: A total of 80 adult Newzealand rabbits were randomized to control, model, ENP, ENP + LY 294002 (PI3K antagonist), ENP + PD 98059 (MEK antagonist) groups, with 16 rabbits in each group. The spinal cord injury model was established by using modified Allen's method (Gravity-drop device). Elongated-needle penetration was applied to bilateral BL 54, ST 28, CV 3 and CV 6, once daily for 3 times. For rabbits of the ENP+ LY 294002 and ENP+ PD 98059 groups, LY 294002 (10 microg, 20 microL), PD 98059 (3 microg, 20 microL) were separately given by intrathecal injection. Pathomorphological changes of the injured spinal cord (T13-L1) were observed after H.E. stain. Spinal cell apoptosis was detected by TUNEL,and phosphorylated (p)-Akt and p-ERK1/2 immunoactivity was detected by immunohistochemistry, and the expression levels of p-Akt, p-ERK1/2, cytochrome C (Cyt C) and Caspase-3 proteins were determined by Western blot (WB), and serum TNF-alpha content was assayed by ELISA. RESULTS: H. E. staining showed apparent structural changes as hemmorrhage, inflammatory cell infiltration, cellular edema and necrosis, and formation of vacuolation in the spinal cord in the model group, which was marked milder in the ENP group. TUNEL assay showed that the rate of apoptotic cells was notably increased in the model group than in the control group (P < 0.05), obviously decreased in the ENP group when compared with the model group (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry, WB and ELISA results showed that compared with the control group, spinal p-Akt and p-ERK1/2 protein expression levels in the model group were significantly decreased (P < 0.05), and Cyt C and Caspase-3 expression levels and serum TNF-a content were significantly increased in the model group (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the expression levels of p-Akt, p-ERK1/2 were significantly increased in the ENP group (P < 0.05), while Cyt C and Caspase-3 expression levels and TNF-alpha content were significantly down-regulated in the ENP group (P < 0.05). After intrathecal injection of PI3K and MEK antagonists, the effects of ENP were significantly weakened in reducing apoptosis rate, upregulating p-Akt and p-ERK1/2 expression and in down-regulating Cyt C and Caspase-3 expression and TNF-alpha content (P < 0.05), suggesting important roles of ERK1/2 mediated extracellular and PI3K/Akt mediated intracellular apoptotic signal transduction pathways in ENP induced repair of the traumatic tissues. CONCLUSION: ENP stimulation can decrease spinal injury and cell apoptosis in spinal injury rabbits, which may be closely related to its effects in up-regulating p-Akt and p-ERK1/2 and down-regulating Cyt C and Caspase-3 expression levels in the spinal cord and serum TNF-alpha content.

A brief analysis of traditional chinese medical elongated needle therapy on acute spinal cord injury and its mechanism.

Acute spinal cord injury is one of the most common and complicated diseases among human spinal injury. We aimed to explore the effect of point-through-point acupuncture therapy with elongated needles on acute spinal cord injury in rabbits and its possible mechanism. Adult rabbits were randomly divided into a model group, elongated needle therapy group, and blank group. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the protein levels of Fas and caspase-3 in the model group were significantly higher than those in the blank group at each time point (P < 0.05) and significantly lower than those in the elongated needle therapy group on the 3rd and 5th days after operation (P < 0.05). RT-PCR showed that Fas and caspase-3 mRNA levels in the model group and elongated needle therapy group were significantly higher than those in the blank group (P < 0.05, 0.01). The mRNA levels of Fas and caspase-3 in the elongated needle therapy group were significantly lower than those in model group on the 3rd day (P < 0.05, 0.01). Therefore, we confirmed that elongated needle therapy has an obvious effect on acute spinal cord injury in rabbits. Its mechanism is made possible by inhibiting the expression of the Fas→caspase-3 cascade, thereby inhibiting cell apoptosis after spinal cord injury.

[Awn needle therapy on the impact of urinary retention after spinal cord injury].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic mechanism of point 8L54-through-point ST2S acupuncture with elongate needles in treating urinary retention after spinal cord injury. METHODS: Thirty-five healthy Japanese rabbits (weight 2.5 +/- 0.25 kg, 3 months old, male or female), used as experimental subjects, were divided into 4 groups involving blank group, model group, acupuncture group, elongate needles group (5 rabbits in blank group, 10 rabbits in each of the other group 10). Modified Allen's method was used to cause spinal cord injury model for the model group, the acupuncture group and the elongate needles group, the blank group was only sham surgery. Immediately after spinal cord injury model,the elongated needle group was given the bilateral acupoints of the elongated needle penetration needling and electric stimulation, electrical stimulation 15 mm stimulation frequency of 20 to 40 times/mm, intensity 1.5 to 3 V the acupuncture group immediately was given ordinary electric needle acupuncture, given other disposals as the elongated needle group; model group was not given electric needle acupuncture, waiting 15 minutes, started to detect and record the observed indicator as the elongated needle group; the blank group was only sham surgery. The following indicators including the Tarlov score ,urinary bladder pressure point, the threshold urination, voided volume, were observed in the first day and the fifth day after surgery. RESULTS: Three groups of animals which modeled were urinary retention after operation. Compared to 1 d, Tarlov score of model group, acupuncture group and elongate needles group significantly improved at postoperative 5 d (P < 0.05). Compared with acupuncture group, the Tarlov score of elongate needles group had no significant difference at postoperative 5 d (P > 0.05). Compared with model group, values of urinary bladder pressure point decreased with varying degrees in the acupuncture group and elongate needles group at postoperative 5 d (P < 0.05); relative to the acupuncture group, the point of the bladder voiding pressure in the elongate needles group decreased more significantly at postoperative 5 d (P < 0.05); compared with model group, micturition threshold of acupuncture group and elongate needles group had been significantly improved at the fifth day after surgery (P < 0.05); relative to the acupuncture group, the improvement is more obvious in the elongate needles group. Compared with model group, voided volume of acupuncture group and elongate needles group had increased significantly at the fifth day after surgery (P < 0.05); relative to the acupuncture group, the increment is more evident in the elongate needles group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: To treat urinary retention after spinal cord injury, the method, which was point-through-point acupuncture with elongate needles in the "Zhibian" and "Shuidao", was better than general acupuncture method. The therapeutic mechanism may be related to stimulate peripheral nerve of bladder, and to rectify the dysfunction between detrusor and sphincter.