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Zhang HM, Li JF, Zhao JW, Shao J. The Involvement of the Ventral Tegmental Area in the Electroacupuncture Alleviation of Anxiety-Like Behaviors Induced by Chronic Restraint Stress in Mice. Neurochem Res 2024:10.1007/s11064-024-04229-2. [PMID: 39190121 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-024-04229-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2024] [Revised: 07/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
Emotional stress is a significant environmental risk factor for various mental health disabilities, such as anxiety. Electroacupuncture (EA) has been demonstrated to have pronounced anxiolytic effects. However, the neural mechanisms underlying these effects and their contribution to behavioral deficits remain poorly understood. Here, we addressed these issues using a classical mouse anxiety model induced by chronic restraint stress (CRS).Anxiety-like behaviors were evaluated with the open field test and elevated plus maze. Neuronal activation in various brain regions was marked using c-Fos, followed by calculations of interregional correlation to characterize a network that became functionally active following EA at the HT7 acupoint (EA-HT7). We selected the hub regions and further investigated their functions and connections in regulating anxiety-like behaviors by using a combination of chemogenetic manipulations and behavioral testing. CRS exposure induced anxiety-like behaviors. Interestingly, EA-HT7 mitigated these behavioral abnormalities. The c-Fos expression in 30 brain areas revealed a vital brain network for acupuncture responsiveness in naïve mice. Neural activity in the NAcSh (nucleus accumbens shell), BNST (bed nucleus of the stria terminalis), VMH (Ventromedial Hypothalamus), ARC (arcuate nucleus), dDG (dorsal dentate gyrus), and VTA (ventral tegmental area) was significantly altered following acupuncture. Notably, both c-Fos immunostaining and brain functional connectivity analysis revealed the significant activation of VTA following EA-HT7. Interestingly, blocking the VTA eliminated the anxiolytic effects of EA-HT7, whereas chemogenetic activation of the VTA replicated the therapeutic effects of EA-HT7. EA-HT7 has demonstrated benefits in treating anxiety and enhances brain functional connectivity. The VTA is functionally associated with the anxiolytic effects of EA-HT7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua-Min Zhang
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, No. 19, Renmin Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, 450000, P.R. China
| | - Jiang-Fan Li
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, P.R. China
| | - Jing-Wei Zhao
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, No. 19, Renmin Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, 450000, P.R. China
| | - Jing Shao
- Department of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine, No. 19, Renmin Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, 450000, P.R. China.
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Yang K, Liu J, He T, Dong W. Caffeine and neonatal acute kidney injury. Pediatr Nephrol 2024; 39:1355-1367. [PMID: 37665410 DOI: 10.1007/s00467-023-06122-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Acute kidney injury is one of the most threatening diseases in neonates, with complex pathogenesis and limited treatment options. Caffeine is a commonly used central nervous system stimulant for treating apnea in preterm infants. There is compelling evidence that caffeine may have potential benefits for preventing neonatal acute kidney injury, but comprehensive reports are lacking in this area. Hence, this review aims to provide a summary of clinical data on the potential benefits of caffeine in improving neonatal acute kidney injury. Additionally, it delves into the molecular mechanisms underlying caffeine's effects on acute kidney injury, with a focus on various aspects such as oxidative stress, adenosine receptors, mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum stress, inflammasome, autophagy, p53, and gut microbiota. The ultimate goal of this review is to provide information for healthcare professionals regarding the link between caffeine and neonatal acute kidney injury and to identify gaps in our current understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Yang
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
- Department of Perinatology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
- Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Birth Defects, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Jinjing Liu
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
- Department of Perinatology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
- Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Birth Defects, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Ting He
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
- Department of Perinatology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China
- Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Birth Defects, Luzhou, 646000, China
| | - Wenbin Dong
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China.
- Department of Perinatology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, 646000, China.
- Sichuan Clinical Research Center for Birth Defects, Luzhou, 646000, China.
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Zhao FY, Spencer SJ, Kennedy GA, Zheng Z, Conduit R, Zhang WJ, Xu P, Yue LP, Wang YM, Xu Y, Fu QQ, Ho YS. Acupuncture for primary insomnia: Effectiveness, safety, mechanisms and recommendations for clinical practice. Sleep Med Rev 2024; 74:101892. [PMID: 38232645 DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2023.101892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Primary insomnia (PI) is an increasing concern in modern society. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia is the first-line recommendation, yet limited availability and cost impede its widespread use. While hypnotics are frequently used, balancing their benefits against the risk of adverse events poses challenges. This review summarizes the clinical and preclinical evidence of acupuncture as a treatment for PI, discussing its potential mechanisms and role in reliving insomnia. Clinical trials show that acupuncture improves subjective sleep quality, fatigue, cognitive impairments, and emotional symptoms with minimal adverse events. It also positively impacts objective sleep processes, including prolonging total sleep time, improving sleep efficiency, reducing sleep onset latency and wake after sleep onset, and enhancing sleep architecture/structure, including increasing N3% and REM%, and decreasing N1%. However, methodological shortcomings in some trials diminish the overall quality of evidence. Animal studies suggest that acupuncture restores circadian rhythms in sleep-deprived rodents and improves their performance in behavioral tests, possibly mediated by various clinical variables and pathways. These may involve neurotransmitters, brain-derived neurotrophic factors, inflammatory cytokines, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, gut microbiota, and other cellular events. While the existing findings support acupuncture as a promising therapeutic strategy for PI, additional high-quality trials are required to validate its benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei-Yi Zhao
- Department of Nursing, School of International Medical Technology, Shanghai Sanda University, Shanghai, 201209, China; Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200071, China
| | - Sarah J Spencer
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia
| | - Gerard A Kennedy
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia; Institute of Health and Wellbeing, Federation University, Mount Helen, Victoria, Australia; Institute for Breathing and Sleep, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, 3084, Australia
| | - Zhen Zheng
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia
| | - Russell Conduit
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3083, Australia
| | - Wen-Jing Zhang
- Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200071, China
| | - Peijie Xu
- School of Computing Technologies, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
| | - Li-Ping Yue
- Department of Nursing, School of International Medical Technology, Shanghai Sanda University, Shanghai, 201209, China
| | - Yan-Mei Wang
- Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200071, China
| | - Yan Xu
- Department of Nursing, School of International Medical Technology, Shanghai Sanda University, Shanghai, 201209, China.
| | - Qiang-Qiang Fu
- Yangpu Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200090, China.
| | - Yuen-Shan Ho
- School of Nursing, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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Lee S, Kim SN. The effects of acupuncture on sleep disorders and its underlying mechanism: a literature review of rodent studies. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1243029. [PMID: 37614343 PMCID: PMC10442542 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1243029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Sleep is a set of physiological processes mainly under neurobiological regulation that affect several physiological systems, and sleep disorders are a condition where normal sleep patterns are disturbed. Clinical studies have confirmed the effects of acupuncture on sleep duration and quality. Although many studies have explored the therapeutic effects of acupuncture on sleep disorders, the mechanisms are unclear. We investigated the mechanism of acupuncture efficacy in a rodent model of sleep disorders and evaluated the therapeutic effects of acupuncture treatment. According to our results, sleep disorders are associated with several brain regions and neurotransmitters. Furthermore, this review showed that neurological processes, such as catecholamine and BDNF signaling pathways, can be regulated by acupuncture, which is a crucial aspect of the acupuncture mechanism in sleep disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Seung-Nam Kim
- College of Korean Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang, Republic of Korea
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