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Zhong Z, Sun MM, He M, Huang HP, Hu GY, Ma SQ, Zheng HZ, Li MY, Yao L, Cong DY, Wang HF. Proteomics and its application in the research of acupuncture: An updated review. Heliyon 2024; 10:e33233. [PMID: 39022010 PMCID: PMC11253069 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33233] [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: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
As a complementary and alternative therapy, acupuncture is widely used in the prevention and treatment of various diseases. However, the understanding of the mechanism of acupuncture effects is still limited due to the lack of systematic biological validation. Notably, proteomics technologies in the field of acupuncture are rapidly evolving, and these advances are greatly contributing to the research of acupuncture. In this study, we review the progress of proteomics research in analyzing the molecular mechanisms of acupuncture for neurological disorders, pain, circulatory disorders, digestive disorders, and other diseases, with an in-depth discussion around acupoint prescription and acupuncture manipulation modalities. The study found that proteomics has great potential in understanding the mechanisms of acupuncture. This study will help explore the mechanisms of acupuncture from a proteomic perspective and provide information to support future clinical decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Zhong
- Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, No.1035 Boshuo Road, Jingyue National High Tech Industrial Development Zone, 130117, Changchun, China
| | - Meng-Meng Sun
- Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, No.1035 Boshuo Road, Jingyue National High Tech Industrial Development Zone, 130117, Changchun, China
| | - Min He
- Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, No.1035 Boshuo Road, Jingyue National High Tech Industrial Development Zone, 130117, Changchun, China
| | - Hai-Peng Huang
- Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, No.1035 Boshuo Road, Jingyue National High Tech Industrial Development Zone, 130117, Changchun, China
| | - Guan-Yu Hu
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, No.183, West of Zhongshan Avenue, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510630, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Shi-Qi Ma
- Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, No.1035 Boshuo Road, Jingyue National High Tech Industrial Development Zone, 130117, Changchun, China
| | - Hai-Zhu Zheng
- Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, No.1035 Boshuo Road, Jingyue National High Tech Industrial Development Zone, 130117, Changchun, China
| | - Meng-Yuan Li
- Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, No.1035 Boshuo Road, Jingyue National High Tech Industrial Development Zone, 130117, Changchun, China
| | - Lin Yao
- Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, No.1035 Boshuo Road, Jingyue National High Tech Industrial Development Zone, 130117, Changchun, China
| | - De-Yu Cong
- Department of Tuina, Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Jilin Province, 130000, Changchun, China
| | - Hong-Feng Wang
- Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, No.1035 Boshuo Road, Jingyue National High Tech Industrial Development Zone, 130117, Changchun, China
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Zeng YS, Ding Y, Xu HY, Zeng X, Lai BQ, Li G, Ma YH. Electro-acupuncture and its combination with adult stem cell transplantation for spinal cord injury treatment: A summary of current laboratory findings and a review of literature. CNS Neurosci Ther 2022; 28:635-647. [PMID: 35174644 PMCID: PMC8981476 DOI: 10.1111/cns.13813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence and disability rate of spinal cord injury (SCI) worldwide are high, imposing a heavy burden on patients. Considerable research efforts have been directed toward identifying new strategies to effectively treat SCI. Governor Vessel electro‐acupuncture (GV‐EA), used in traditional Chinese medicine, combines acupuncture with modern electrical stimulation. It has been shown to improve the microenvironment of injured spinal cord (SC) by increasing levels of endogenous neurotrophic factors and reducing inflammation, thereby protecting injured neurons and promoting myelination. In addition, axons extending from transplanted stem cell‐derived neurons can potentially bridge the two severed ends of tissues in a transected SC to rebuild neuronal circuits and restore motor and sensory functions. However, every single treatment approach to severe SCI has proven unsatisfactory. Combining different treatments—for example, electro‐acupuncture (EA) with adult stem cell transplantation—appears to be a more promising strategy. In this review, we have summarized the recent progress over the past two decades by our team especially in the use of GV‐EA for the repair of SCI. By this strategy, we have shown that EA can stimulate the nerve endings of the meningeal branch. This would elicit the dorsal root ganglion neurons to secrete excess amounts of calcitonin gene‐related peptide centrally in the SC. The neuropeptide then activates the local cells to secrete neurotrophin‐3 (NT‐3), which mediates the survival and differentiation of donor stem cells overexpressing the NT‐3 receptor, at the injury/graft site of the SC. Increased local production of NT‐3 facilitates reconstruction of host neural tissue such as nerve fiber regeneration and myelination. All this events in sequence would ultimately strengthen the cortical motor‐evoked potentials and restore the motor function of paralyzed limbs. The information presented herein provides a basis for future studies on the clinical application of GV‐EA and adult stem cell transplantation for the treatment of SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Shan Zeng
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.,Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Institute of Spinal Cord Injury, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Ying Ding
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.,Institute of Spinal Cord Injury, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Hao-Yu Xu
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiang Zeng
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.,Institute of Spinal Cord Injury, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Bi-Qin Lai
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.,Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Institute of Spinal Cord Injury, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Ge Li
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.,Institute of Spinal Cord Injury, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yuan-Huan Ma
- Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.,Institute of Spinal Cord Injury, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
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3
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Phosphatidylethanolamine-Binding Protein 1 Ameliorates Ischemia-Induced Inflammation and Neuronal Damage in the Rabbit Spinal Cord. Cells 2019; 8:cells8111370. [PMID: 31683736 PMCID: PMC6912576 DOI: 10.3390/cells8111370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In a previous study, we utilized a proteomic approach and found a significant reduction in phosphatidylethanolamine-binding protein 1 (PEBP1) protein level in the spinal cord at 3 h after ischemia. In the present study, we investigated the role of PEBP1 against oxidative stress in NSC34 cells in vitro, and ischemic damage in the rabbit spinal cord in vivo. We generated a PEP-1-PEBP1 fusion protein to facilitate the penetration of blood-brain barrier and intracellular delivery of PEBP1 protein. Treatment with PEP-1-PEBP1 significantly decreased cell death and the induction of oxidative stress in NSC34 cells. Furthermore, administering PEP-1-PEBP1 did not show any significant side effects immediately before and after ischemia/reperfusion. Administration of PEP-PEBP1 improved the Tarlov’s neurological score at 24 and 72 h after ischemia, and significantly improved neuronal survival at 72 h after ischemia based on neuronal nuclei (NeuN) immunohistochemistry, Flouro-Jade B staining, and western blot study for cleaved caspase 3. PEP-1-PEBP1 administration decreased oxidative stress based on malondialdehyde level, advanced oxidation protein products, and 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α in the spinal cord. In addition, inflammation based on myeloperoxidase level, tumor necrosis factor-α level, and high mobility group box 1 level was decreased by PEP-1-PEBP1 treatment at 72 h after ischemia. Thus, PEP-1-PEBP1 treatment, which decreases oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokines, and neuronal death, may be an effective therapeutic strategy for spinal cord ischemia.
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Alvarado-Sanchez BG, Salgado-Ceballos H, Torres-Castillo S, Rodriguez-Silverio J, Lopez-Hernandez ME, Quiroz-Gonzalez S, Sanchez-Torres S, Mondragón-Lozano R, Fabela-Sanchez O. Electroacupuncture and Curcumin Promote Oxidative Balance and Motor Function Recovery in Rats Following Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury. Neurochem Res 2019; 44:498-506. [PMID: 30603981 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-018-02704-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2018] [Revised: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a condition that puts the patient's life at risk in the acute phase and, during the chronic stage, results in permanent deficits in motor, sensory and autonomic functions. Isolated therapeutic strategies have not shown an effect on this condition. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) and curcumin, alone or combined, on the oxidative balance, motor function recovery and amount of preserved tissue following a traumatic SCI. Long-Evans rats were divided into five groups: SHAM, SCI, SCI + EA, SCI + Curcumin, and SCI + EA + Curcumin. Nitric oxide was significantly decreased in the Curcumin group; the EA, Curcumin and SCI + EA + Curcumin groups had significantly decreased hydroxyl radical and lipid peroxidation levels. Motor function recovery and the amount of preserved spinal cord tissue were significantly greater in the EA, Curcumin and EA + Curcumin groups. The results show that EA and Curcumin treatment alone or in combination decreased oxidative stress, improved functional motor recovery and increased the amount of preserved spinal cord tissue following a traumatic injury.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hermelinda Salgado-Ceballos
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Enfermedades Neurológicas, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, IMSS, C.P. 06720, México City, Mexico
- Proyecto Camina A. C., C.P. 14050, México City, Mexico
| | - Sergio Torres-Castillo
- Universidad Estatal del Valle de Ecatepec, C.P. 55210, Ecatepec de Morelos, Estado De México, Mexico.
- Proyecto Camina A. C., C.P. 14050, México City, Mexico.
| | - Juan Rodriguez-Silverio
- Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, C.P. 11340, México City, Mexico
| | - Monica E Lopez-Hernandez
- Universidad Estatal del Valle de Ecatepec, C.P. 55210, Ecatepec de Morelos, Estado De México, Mexico
| | - Salvador Quiroz-Gonzalez
- Universidad Estatal del Valle de Ecatepec, C.P. 55210, Ecatepec de Morelos, Estado De México, Mexico
| | | | - Rodrigo Mondragón-Lozano
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Enfermedades Neurológicas, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, IMSS, C.P. 06720, México City, Mexico
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Fan Q, Cavus O, Xiong L, Xia Y. Spinal Cord Injury: How Could Acupuncture Help? J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2018; 11:124-132. [PMID: 29753705 DOI: 10.1016/j.jams.2018.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2018] [Revised: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the most common causes of death and disability worldwide, and it can result in both permanent disability and serial complications in patients. Research shows that patients with SCI complications are often interested in acupuncture for symptomatic relief. Therefore, the issue of physicians advising their patients regarding the use of acupuncture to alleviate SCI complications becomes pertinent. We review and summarize two types of relevant publications: (1) literature concerning acupuncture for SCI and its complications and (2) underlying mechanisms of acupuncture therapy for SCI. Clinical trials and reviews have suggested that acupuncture effectively manages a range of post-SCI complications, including motor and sensory dysfunction, pain, neurogenic bowel and bladder, pressure ulcers, spasticity, and osteoporosis. The effect of acupuncture on post-SCI orthostatic hypotension and sexual dysfunction remains unclear. Decreased oxidative stress, inhibition of inflammation and neuronal apoptosis, regulation of the expression and activity of endogenous biological mediators, and increased regenerative stem cell production are the possible mechanisms of acupuncture therapy for SCI. Although many limitations have been reported in previous studies, given the evidence for the efficacy of acupuncture, we recommend that physicians should support the use of acupuncture therapy for SCI complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianqian Fan
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China
| | - Omer Cavus
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Lize Xiong
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, PR China.
| | - Yun Xia
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
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Tu WZ, Jiang SH, Zhang L, Li SS, Gu PP, He R, Hu J, Gao LP, Sun QS. Electro-acupuncture at Governor Vessel improves neurological function in rats with spinal cord injury. Chin J Integr Med 2017:10.1007/s11655-017-2968-9. [PMID: 28762132 DOI: 10.1007/s11655-017-2968-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of electro-acupuncture (EA) at Governor Vessel (GV) on the locomotor function in spinal cord injury (SCI) rats and explore the underlying mechanism. METHODS Thirtytwo male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups namely: the sham group (with sham operation); the untreated group (without treatment after spinal cord impact); the EA-1 group [EA applied at Baihui (GV 20) and Fengfu (GV 16) after spinal cord impact] and the EA-2 group [with EA applied at Dazhui (GV 14) and Mingmen (GV 4) after spinal cord impact]. Real-time quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western Blotting were used to assess changes in the mRNA and protein expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) at 7 weeks following EA administration. In addition, the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) Locomotor Rating Scale was assessed at 1 day, 1 week, 3 weeks and 7 weeks post-injury. RESULTS The results showed that EA stimulation induced neuroprotective effects after SCI correlated with the up-regulation of BDNF and NT-3 (P<0.05). Furthermore, EA stimulation at GV 14 and GV 4 could significantly promote the recovery of locomotor function and this may be linked to the up-regulation of BDNF and NT-3 (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS EA treatment applied at GV acupoints either within the injury site or adjacent undamaged regions near the brain can improve functional recovery, which may be correlated with the upregulation of BDNF and NT-3. In addition, it would be more effective to administer EA at GV 14 and GV 4 near the injury site of the SCI rats.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Song-He Jiang
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation, Dongyang People's Hospital, Dongyang 322100, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Si-Si Li
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Peng-Peng Gu
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Rong He
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jie Hu
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Li-Ping Gao
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325027, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Qiang-San Sun
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250033, China.
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Liu J, Wu Y. Electro-acupuncture-modulated miR-214 prevents neuronal apoptosis by targeting Bax and inhibits sodium channel Nav1.3 expression in rats after spinal cord injury. Biomed Pharmacother 2017; 89:1125-1135. [PMID: 28298073 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.02.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Revised: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Electro-acupuncture (EA) has been proven to contribute towards neurologic and functional recoveries in spinal cord injury (SCI), but the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown especially regarding the effects of preventing neuronal apoptosis and alleviating neuropathic pain involved in the development of EA. In this study, we evaluated the effect of EA treatment in an animal model of SCI using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) score method, lesion volume by cresyl violet staining and neuronal apoptosis by TUNEL staining. Our results showed that EA therapy improved functional recovery, and reduced tissue loss and neuronal apoptosis after SCI. Meanwhile, we found that proapoptotic proteins (cleaved-caspase-3, 9 and cleaved-PARP) were downregulated and antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 was upregulated following EA. To further explore the antiapoptotic effect of EA treatment, we verified that a large set of microRNAs (miRNAs) expression were altered following EA treatment and the miR-214 was one of the miRNAs being most significantly upregulated. Importantly, we validated both apoptosis related protein Bax and pain related protein Nav1.3 as two functional targets of miR-214 in vitro and vivo. Furthermore, our data showed that EA attenuates SCI-induced Nav1.3 and Bax upregulation in injured spinal cord via upregulating miR-214. These results suggest that miR-214 played an important role after SCI in the process of EA therapy, and the miR-214 could become an attractive novel therapeutic target for the treatment of SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Liu
- Department of Acu-mox and Tuina, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai 200233, China
| | - Yaochi Wu
- Department of Acu-mox and Tuina, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai 200233, China.
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The regulatory effect of electro-acupuncture on the expression of NMDA receptors in a SCI rat model. Life Sci 2017; 177:8-14. [PMID: 28392262 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2017.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In early spinal cord injury (SCI), glutamate receptors, including N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (NMDARs), are over-stimulated by excessively released glutamate. The enhanced activity of NMDARs may cause cell death by overloading calcium (Ca2+) into cells based on their high permeability to Ca2+. Studies in SCI animals have shown that treatment with electro-acupuncture (EA) is able to reduce cell death and to improve functional recovery. One possible mechanism of this neuroprotective effect is that EA has regulatory effect on NMDARs. AIMS To test whether EA could protect the spinal cord after SCI by decreasing the expression levels of NR1 and NR2A. MAIN METHODS We conducted EA treatment on a rat SCI model produced with a New York University (NYU) Impactor and measured hindlimb locomotor function by Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan Locomotor Rating Scale (BBB Scale). The expression of NR1 and NR2, the subunits of NMDARs, in the injured spinal cord was measured by Immunofluorescence stainings, western blot and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). KEY FINDING Our results showed that two days after the SCI the expression of NR1 and NR2 were dramatically enhanced at both protein and mNRA levels, which were significantly reduced by EA treatment at two specific acupoints, Dazhui (DU14) and Mingmen (DU4). SIGNIFICANCE EA is a potential therapeutic method for treating early SCI in human.
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Zhu XL, Chen X, Wang W, Li X, Huo J, Wang Y, Min YY, Su BX, Pei JM. Electroacupuncture pretreatment attenuates spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury via inhibition of high-mobility group box 1 production in a LXA 4 receptor-dependent manner. Brain Res 2017; 1659:113-120. [PMID: 28089662 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2017.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Revised: 01/01/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Paraplegia caused by spinal cord ischemia is a severe complication following surgeries in the thoracic aneurysm. HMGB1 has been recognized as a key mediator in spinal inflammatory response after spinal cord injury. Electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment could provide neuroprotection against cerebral ischemic injury through inhibition of HMGB1 release. Therefore, the present study aims to test the hypothesis that EA pretreatment protects against spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury via inhibition of HMGB1 release. Animals were pre-treated with EA stimulations 30min daily for 4 successive days, followed by 20-min spinal cord ischemia induced by using a balloon catheter placed into the aorta. We found that spinal I/R significantly increased mRNA and cytosolic protein levels of HMGB1 after reperfusion in the spinal cord. The EA-pretreated animals displayed better motor performance after reperfusion along with the decrease of apoptosis, HMGB1, TNF-α and IL-1β expressions in the spinal cord, whereas these effects by EA pretreatment was reversed by rHMGB1 administration. Furthermore, EA pretreatment attenuated the down-regulation of LXA4 receptor (ALX) expression induced by I/R injury, while the decrease of HMGB1 release in EA-pretreated rats was reversed by the combined BOC-2 (an inhibitor of LXA4 receptor) treatment. In conclusion, EA pretreatment may promote spinal I/R injury through the inhibition of HMGB1 release in a LXA4 receptor-dependent manner. Our data may represent a new therapeutic technique for treating spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Ling Zhu
- Department of Physiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China; Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shaanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Xi'an 710068, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Xu Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xi'an Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Jia Huo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Yu-Yuan Min
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Bin-Xiao Su
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
| | - Jian-Ming Pei
- Department of Physiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
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10
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Wang Y, Tang Q, Zhu L, Huang R, Huang L, Koleini M, Zou D. Effects of Treatment of Treadmill Combined with Electro-Acupuncture on Tibia Bone Mass and Substance PExpression of Rabbits with Sciatic Nerve Injury. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0164652. [PMID: 27880769 PMCID: PMC5120789 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0164652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The peripheral nervous system may play an important role in normal bone maintenance and remodeling. Substance P (SP) is a neuropeptide associated with bone loss and formation that may mediate the effects of the nervous system. The purpose of this study is to determine if treadmill running combined with electro-acupuncture at Jiaji acupoints (Jiaji-EA) affects tibial bone mass and SP expression in rabbits with sciatic nerve injury. Twenty-four juvenile male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly assigned to one of 4 groups: sham injury control (sham), sciatic never crush control (SNCr), treadmill running (treadmill), and Jiaji-EA combined with treadmill running (ET group). The SNCr, treadmill, and ET groups all had an induced sciatic never crush injury of approximately 2mm. Control groups received no intervention; the treadmill and ET groups were trained by treadmill; the ET group also received Jiaji-EA. After the 4 weeks of treatment, toe-spreading index (TSI), BMD, bone strength, and SP expression in the tibia were significantly lower in the nerve injury groups (SNCr, treadmill, and ET) compared to the sham groups (p<0.05). Treatment (treadmill and ET groups) increased all measures compared to the SNCr group (p<0.05). Further, TSI, BMD, bone strength, and SP expression in the ET group were higher than the treadmill group (p<0.05). Our results indicate that treadmill therapy combined with electro-acupuncture at Jiaji acupoints prevents bone loss in rabbit tibias after sciatic nerve injury. This may occur in two ways: indirectly in association with axon regeneration and directly via loading on the bone mediated through increased SP expression. This study provides important evidence for the clinical treatment of bone loss after peripheral nerve injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- The 2nd affiliated hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
- * E-mail:
| | - Qiang Tang
- The 2nd affiliated hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Luwen Zhu
- The 2nd affiliated hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Ruyi Huang
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Lei Huang
- Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Melanie Koleini
- HRPO, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Dequan Zou
- Program in Physical Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America
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11
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Yang XH, Ding Y, Li W, Zhang RY, Wu JL, Ling EA, Wu W, Zeng YS. Effects of electroacupuncture and the retinoid X receptor (RXR) signalling pathway on oligodendrocyte differentiation in the demyelinated spinal cord of rats. Acupunct Med 2016; 35:122-132. [PMID: 27841975 PMCID: PMC5466916 DOI: 10.1136/acupmed-2016-011134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Objectives In spinal cord demyelination, some oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) remain in the demyelinated region but have a reduced capacity to differentiate into oligodendrocytes. This study investigated whether ‘Governor Vessel’ (GV) electroacupuncture (EA) would promote the differentiation of endogenous OPCs into oligodendrocytes by activating the retinoid X receptor γ (RXR-γ)-mediated signalling pathway. Methods Adult rats were microinjected with ethidium bromide (EB) into the T10 spinal cord to establish a model of spinal cord demyelination. EB-injected rats remained untreated (EB group, n=26) or received EA treatment (EB+EA group, n=26). A control group (n=26) was also included that underwent dural exposure without EB injection. After euthanasia at 7 days (n=5 per group), 15 days (n=8 per group) or 30 days (n=13 per group), protein expression of RXR-γ in the demyelinated spinal cord was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. In addition, OPCs derived from rat embryonic spinal cord were cultured in vitro, and exogenous 9-cis-RA (retinoic acid) and RXR-γ antagonist HX531 were administered to determine whether RA could activate RXR-γ and promote OPC differentiation. Results EA was found to increase the numbers of both OPCs and oligodendrocytes expressing RXR-γ and RALDH2, and promote remyelination in the remyelinated spinal cord. Exogenous 9-cis-RA enhanced the differentiation of OPCs into mature oligodendrocytes by activating RXR-γ. Conclusions The results suggest that EA may activate RXR signalling to promote the differentiation of OPCs into oligodendrocytes in spinal cord demyelination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Hua Yang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ying Ding
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wen Li
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Rong-Yi Zhang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jin-Lang Wu
- Department of Electron Microscope, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Eng-Ang Ling
- Department of Anatomy, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wutian Wu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.,Joint Laboratory of Jinan University and The University of Hong Kong, GHM Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuan-Shan Zeng
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Key Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering (Sun Yat-sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,Institute of Spinal Cord Injury, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.,Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Jiangsu, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Suo T, Wang H, Li Z. Application of proteomics in research on traditional Chinese medicine. Expert Rev Proteomics 2016; 13:873-81. [DOI: 10.1080/14789450.2016.1220837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Effects of Electroacupuncture at Governor Vessel Acupoints on Neurotrophin-3 in Rats with Experimental Spinal Cord Injury. Neural Plast 2016; 2016:2371875. [PMID: 27597902 PMCID: PMC4997063 DOI: 10.1155/2016/2371875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2016] [Revised: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In an effort to explore new, noninvasive treatment options for spinal cord injuries (SCI), this study investigated the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) for SCI rat models. SCI was induced by a modified Allen's weight-drop method. We investigated the response of EA at Dazhui (GV 14) and Mingmen (GV 4) acupoints to understand the effects and mechanisms of EA in neuroprotection and neuronal function recovery after SCI. BBB testing was used to detect motor function of rats' hind limbs among groups, and EA was shown to promote the recovery of SCI rats' motor function. Nissl staining showed a restored neural morphology and an increase in the quantity of neurons after EA. Also, the antiapoptosis role was exposed by TUNEL staining. Western blotting analysis was used to determine the protein expression of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) in spinal cord tissue. Compared to the sham group, the expression levels of NT-3 were significantly decreased and EA was shown to upregulate the expression of NT-3. The present study suggests that the role of EA in neuroprotection and dorsal neuronal function recovery after SCI in rats, especially EA stimulation at GV 14 and GV 4, can greatly promote neuronal function recovery, which may result from upregulating the expression of NT-3.
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Geng X, Sun T, Li JH, Zhao N, Wang Y, Yu HL. Electroacupuncture in the repair of spinal cord injury: inhibiting the Notch signaling pathway and promoting neural stem cell proliferation. Neural Regen Res 2015; 10:394-403. [PMID: 25878587 PMCID: PMC4396101 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.153687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Electroacupuncture for the treatment of spinal cord injury has a good clinical curative effect, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. In our experiments, the spinal cord of adult Sprague-Dawley rats was clamped for 60 seconds. Dazhui (GV14) and Mingmen (GV4) acupoints of rats were subjected to electroacupuncture. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed that the expression of serum inflammatory factors was apparently downregulated in rat models of spinal cord injury after electroacupuncture. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemistry results demonstrated that electroacupuncture contributed to the proliferation of neural stem cells in rat injured spinal cord, and suppressed their differentiation into astrocytes. Real-time quantitative PCR and western blot assays showed that electroacupuncture inhibited activation of the Notch signaling pathway induced by spinal cord injury. These findings indicate that electroacupuncture repaired the injured spinal cord by suppressing the Notch signaling pathway and promoting the proliferation of endogenous neural stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Geng
- Second Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Tao Sun
- Second Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Jing-Hui Li
- Second Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Ning Zhao
- Second Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Yong Wang
- Second Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Hua-Lin Yu
- Second Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
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He GH, Ruan JW, Zeng YS, Zhou X, Ding Y, Zhou GH. Improvement in acupoint selection for acupuncture of nerves surrounding the injury site: electro-acupuncture with Governor vessel with local meridian acupoints. Neural Regen Res 2015; 10:128-35. [PMID: 25788933 PMCID: PMC4357096 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.150720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Peripheral nerve injury not only affects the site of the injury, but can also induce neuronal apoptosis at the spinal cord. However, many acupuncture clinicians still focus only on the injury site, selecting acupoints entirely along the injured nerve trunk and neglecting other regions; this may delay onset of treatment efficacy and rehabilitation. Therefore, in the present study, we compared the clinical efficacy of acupuncture at Governor vessel and local meridian acupoints combined (GV/LM group) with acupuncture at local meridian acupoints alone (LM group) in the treatment of patients with peripheral nerve injury. In the GV/LM group (n = 15), in addition to meridian acupoints at the injury site, the following acupoints on the Governor vessel were stimulated: Baihui (GV20), Fengfu (GV16), Dazhui (GV14), and Shenzhu (GV12), selected to treat nerve injury of the upper limb, and Jizhong (GV6), Mingmen (GV4), Yaoyangguan (GV3), and Yaoshu (GV2) to treat nerve injury of the lower limb. In the LM group (n = 15), only meridian acupoints along the injured nerve were selected. Both groups had electroacupuncture treatment for 30 minutes, once a day, 5 times per week, for 6 weeks. Two cases dropped out of the LM group. A good or excellent clinical response was obtained in 80% of the patients in the GV/LM group and 38.5% of the LM group. In a second study, an additional 20 patients underwent acupuncture with the same prescription as the GV/LM group. Electomyographic nerve conduction tests were performed before and after acupuncture to explore the mechanism of action of the treatment. An effective response was observed in 80.0% of the patients, with greater motor nerve conduction velocity and amplitude after treatment, indicating that electroacupuncture on specific Governor vessel acupoints promotes functional motor nerve repair after peripheral nerve injury. In addition, electromyography was performed before, during and after electroacupuncture in one patient with radial nerve injury. After a single session, the patient's motor nerve conduction velocity increased by 23.2%, indicating that electroacupuncture at Governor vessel acupoints has an immediate therapeutic effect on peripheral nerve injury. Our results indicate that Governor vessel and local meridian acupoints used simultaneously promote functional repair after peripheral nerve injury. The mechanism of action may arise from an improvement of the local microenvironment in injured nervous tissue, as well as immediate effects of Governor vessel and local meridian acupoint stimulation to ensure the continuity between the peripheral and central nervous systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guan-Heng He
- Department of Acupuncture, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Jing-Wen Ruan
- Department of Acupuncture, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yuan-Shan Zeng
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Acupuncture, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Ying Ding
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Guang-Hui Zhou
- Rehabilitation Department, People's Hospital of Dongguan Shilong, Southern Medical University, Dongguan, Guangdong Province, China
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Combination of electroacupuncture and grafted mesenchymal stem cells overexpressing TrkC improves remyelination and function in demyelinated spinal cord of rats. Sci Rep 2015; 5:9133. [PMID: 25779025 PMCID: PMC5390924 DOI: 10.1038/srep09133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 02/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This study attempted to graft neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) receptor (TrkC) gene modified mesenchymal stem cells (TrkC-MSCs) into the demyelinated spinal cord and to investigate whether electroacupuncture (EA) treatment could promote NT-3 secretion in the demyelinated spinal cord as well as further enhance grafted TrkC-MSCs to differentiate into oligodendrocytes, remyelination and functional recovery. Ethidium bromide (EB) was microinjected into the spinal cord of rats at T10 to establish a demyelinated model. Six groups of animals were prepared for the experiment: the sham, PBS, MSCs, MSCs+EA, TrkC-MSCs and TrkC-MSCs+EA groups. The results showed that TrkC-MSCs graft combined with EA treatment (TrkC-MSCs+EA group) significantly increased the number of OPCs and oligodendrocyte-like cells differentiated from MSCs. Immunoelectron microscopy showed that the oligodendrocyte-like cells differentiated from TrkC-MSCs formed myelin sheaths. Immunofluorescence histochemistry and Western blot analysis indicated that TrkC-MSCs+EA treatment could promote the myelin basic protein (MBP) expression and Kv1.2 arrangement trending towards the normal level. Furthermore, behavioural test and cortical motor evoked potentials detection demonstrated a significant functional recovery in the TrkC-MSCs+EA group. In conclusion, our results suggest that EA treatment can increase NT-3 expression, promote oligodendrocyte-like cell differentiation from TrkC-MSCs, remyelination and functional improvement of demyelinated spinal cord.
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Liu Z, He B, Zhang RY, Zhang K, Ding Y, Ruan JW, Ling EA, Wu JL, Zeng YS. Electroacupuncture Promotes the Differentiation of Transplanted Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Preinduced With Neurotrophin-3 and Retinoic Acid Into Oligodendrocyte-Like Cells in Demyelinated Spinal Cord of Rats. Cell Transplant 2014; 24:1265-81. [PMID: 24856958 DOI: 10.3727/096368914x682099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) promotes functional recovery in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and in a murine model of MS. However, there is only a modicum of information on differentiation of grafted MSCs into oligodendrocyte-like cells in MS. The purpose of this study was to transplant neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and retinoic acid (RA) preinduced MSCs (NR-MSCs) into a demyelinated spinal cord induced by ethidium bromide and to investigate whether EA treatment could promote NT-3 secretion in the demyelinated spinal cord. We also sought to determine whether increased NT-3 could further enhance NR-MSCs overexpressing the tyrosine receptor kinase C (TrkC) to differentiate into more oligodendrocyte-like cells, resulting in increased remyelination and nerve conduction in the spinal cord. Our results showed that NT-3 and RA increased transcription of TrkC mRNA in cultured MSCs. EA increased NT-3 levels and promoted differentiation of oligodendrocyte-like cells from grafted NR-MSCs in the demyelinated spinal cord. There was evidence of myelin formation by grafted NR-MSCs. In addition, NR-MSC transplantation combined with EA treatment (the NR-MSCs + EA group) reduced demyelination and promoted remyelination. Furthermore, the conduction of cortical motor-evoked potentials has improved compared to controls. Together, our data suggest that preinduced MSC transplantation combined with EA treatment not only increased MSC differentiation into oligodendrocyte-like cells forming myelin sheaths, but also promoted remyelination and functional improvement of nerve conduction in the demyelinated spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhou Liu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Neuroprotective effects of different modalities of acupuncture on traumatic spinal cord injury in rats. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2014; 2014:431580. [PMID: 24803946 PMCID: PMC3996864 DOI: 10.1155/2014/431580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2013] [Revised: 01/29/2014] [Accepted: 02/16/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) can induce a series of histological, biochemical, and functional changes. Acupuncture is commonly used for SCI patients. Using male rats of spinal cord injury with the New York University (NYU) Impactor, we investigated the response of electroacupuncture (EA), manual acupuncture (MA), and transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation (TAES) at Shuigou (DU26) and Fengfu (DU16) acupoints to understand the effects and mechanisms of acupuncture in neuroprotection and neuronal function recovery after SCI. Histological study showed a restored neural morphology and an increase in the quantity of neurons after EA, MA, and TAES administrations. Acupuncture's antioxidation effects were demonstrated by alleviation of the post-SCI superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increase and malondialdehyde (MDA) level decrease. The anti-inflammation effect of acupuncture was shown as the reduced expression of inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-1 β (IL-1 β ), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF- α ) when SCI was treated. And the antiapoptosis role was approved by TUNEL staining. Our data confirmed that the role of acupuncture in neuroprotection and dorsal neuronal function recovery after rat SCI, especially, EA stimulating at Shuigou (DU26) and Fengfu (DU16) can greatly promote neuronal function recovery, which may result from antioxidation, anti-inflammation, and antiapoptosis effects of acupuncture.
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Luo H, Cheng X, Tang Y, Ling Z, Zhou L. Electroacupuncture treatment contributes to the downregulation of neuronal nitric oxide synthase and motoneuron death in injured spinal cords following root avulsion of the brachial plexus. Biomed Rep 2013; 2:207-212. [PMID: 24649097 DOI: 10.3892/br.2013.212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2013] [Accepted: 11/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
This study was performed in order to investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on motoneurons and the expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) following brachial plexus root avulsion (BPRA). A total of 40 female Sprague-Dawley rats underwent BPRA (5th cervical-1st thoracic) and were randomly divided into the avulsion plus EA stimulation (AV+EA) and AV groups. The AV+EA group received a continuous 20-Hz asymmetric bidirectional disperse-dense wave at the acupuncture points (acupoints) of Dazhui (DU4) and Shousanli (LI10) for 15 min on alternate days until the animals were sacrificed, at 1, 2, 3 and 6 weeks. The AV group received no treatment. The cryostat sections of the 7th cervical segments were prepared and stained with neuronal nitric oxide synthase nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPH-d) and histochemically stained and counterstained with neutral red (NR). The number of nNOS-positive motoneurons on the lesion side and survived motoneurons on both sides of the 7th cervical segments were blindly counted and compared between the two groups. The results demonstrated that the number of nNOS-positive motoneurons was significantly lower in the AV+EA group compared with that in the AV group and the percentage of survived motoneurons was significantly higher compared with that of the AV group at 2 and 3 weeks. However, the number of nNOS-positive motoneurons and the percentage of survived motoneurons were not significantly different between the two groups at 1 and 6 weeks. These results indicated that, during the early period after BPRA, EA stimulation at the acupoints of Dazhui (DU4) and Shousanli (LI10) may significantly reduce the number of nNOS-positive motoneurons and protect against motoneuron death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoxuan Luo
- Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China
| | - Xiao Cheng
- Encephalopathy Center, Guangdong Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510120, P.R. China
| | - Ying Tang
- Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China
| | - Zemin Ling
- Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China
| | - Lihua Zhou
- Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China
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Fang J, Zheng N, Wang Y, Cao H, Sun S, Dai J, Li Q, Zhang Y. Understanding Acupuncture Based on ZHENG Classification from System Perspective. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE : ECAM 2013; 2013:956967. [PMID: 24348731 PMCID: PMC3857847 DOI: 10.1155/2013/956967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2013] [Revised: 09/24/2013] [Accepted: 10/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Acupuncture is an efficient therapy method originated in ancient China, the study of which based on ZHENG classification is a systematic research on understanding its complexity. The system perspective is contributed to understand the essence of phenomena, and, as the coming of the system biology era, broader technology platforms such as omics technologies were established for the objective study of traditional chinese medicine (TCM). Omics technologies could dynamically determine molecular components of various levels, which could achieve a systematic understanding of acupuncture by finding out the relationships of various response parts. After reviewing the literature of acupuncture studied by omics approaches, the following points were found. Firstly, with the help of omics approaches, acupuncture was found to be able to treat diseases by regulating the neuroendocrine immune (NEI) network and the change of which could reflect the global effect of acupuncture. Secondly, the global effect of acupuncture could reflect ZHENG information at certain structure and function levels, which might reveal the mechanism of Meridian and Acupoint Specificity. Furthermore, based on comprehensive ZHENG classification, omics researches could help us understand the action characteristics of acupoints and the molecular mechanisms of their synergistic effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junwei Fang
- Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Systems Biology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ningning Zheng
- Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Systems Biology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yang Wang
- Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Systems Biology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Huijuan Cao
- Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Systems Biology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Shujun Sun
- Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Systems Biology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jianye Dai
- Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Systems Biology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Qianhua Li
- Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Systems Biology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yongyu Zhang
- Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Systems Biology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
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Dissection of Biological Property of Chinese Acupuncture Point Zusanli Based on Long-Term Treatment via Modulating Multiple Metabolic Pathways. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2013; 2013:429703. [PMID: 24073005 PMCID: PMC3773888 DOI: 10.1155/2013/429703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2013] [Accepted: 07/24/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Acupuncture has a history of over 3000 years and is a traditional Chinese medical therapy that uses hair-thin metal needles to puncture the skin at specific points on the body to promote wellbeing, while its molecular mechanism and ideal biological pathways are still not clear. High-throughput metabolomics is the global assessment of endogenous metabolites within a biologic system and can potentially provide a more accurate snap shot of the actual physiological state. We hypothesize that acupuncture-treated human would produce unique characterization of metabolic phenotypes. In this study, UPLC/ESI-HDMS coupled with pattern recognition methods and system analysis were carried out to investigate the mechanism and metabolite biomarkers for acupuncture treatment at “Zusanli” acupoint (ST-36) as a case study. The top 5 canonical pathways including alpha-linolenic acid metabolism, d-glutamine and d-glutamate metabolism, citrate cycle, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, and vitamin B6 metabolism pathways were acutely perturbed, and 53 differential metabolites were identified by chemical profiling and may be useful to clarify the physiological basis and mechanism of ST-36. More importantly, network construction has led to the integration of metabolites associated with the multiple perturbation pathways. Urine metabolic profiling might be a promising method to investigate the molecular mechanism of acupuncture.
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Systems biology approach opens door to essence of acupuncture. Complement Ther Med 2013; 21:253-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2013.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2012] [Revised: 01/21/2013] [Accepted: 03/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
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Electro-acupuncture upregulates CGRP expression after rat spinal cord transection. Neurochem Int 2012; 61:1397-403. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2012.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2012] [Revised: 09/28/2012] [Accepted: 10/05/2012] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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Proteomic analysis reveals the deregulation of inflammation-related proteins in acupuncture-treated rats with asthma onset. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2012; 2012:850512. [PMID: 23304218 PMCID: PMC3523810 DOI: 10.1155/2012/850512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2012] [Revised: 09/16/2012] [Accepted: 09/17/2012] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Although the beneficial effects of acupuncture in asthma treatment have been well documented, little is known regarding the biological basis of this treatment. Changes in the lung proteome of acupuncture-treated rats with asthma onset were comparatively analyzed using a two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) and mass-spectrometry- (MS-) based proteomic approach. Acupuncture on specific acupuncture points appeared to improve respiratory function and reduce the total number of leukocytes and eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in OVA-induced asthma onset. Image analysis of 2DE gels revealed 32 differentially expressed acupuncture-specific protein spots in asthma onset; 30 of which were successfully identified as 28 unique proteins using LC-MS/MS. Bioinformatic analyses indicated that these altered proteins are most likely involved in inflammation-related biological functions, and the functional associations of these proteins result in an inflammation signaling pathway. Acupuncture regulates the pathway at different levels by regulating several key nodal proteins, including downregulating of proinflammatory proteins (e.g., S100A8, RAGE, and S100A11) and upregulating of anti-inflammatory proteins (e.g., CC10, ANXA5, and sRAGE). These deregulated inflammation-related proteins may mediate, at least in part, the antiasthmatic effect of acupuncture. Further functional investigation of these acupuncture-specific effector proteins could identify new drug candidates for the prophylaxis and treatment of asthma.
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Systems biology of meridians, acupoints, and chinese herbs in disease. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2012; 2012:372670. [PMID: 23118787 PMCID: PMC3483864 DOI: 10.1155/2012/372670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2012] [Accepted: 09/26/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Meridians, acupoints, and Chinese herbs are important components of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). They have been used for disease treatment and prevention and as alternative and complementary therapies. Systems biology integrates omics data, such as transcriptional, proteomic, and metabolomics data, in order to obtain a more global and complete picture of biological activity. To further understand the existence and functions of the three components above, we reviewed relevant research in the systems biology literature and found many recent studies that indicate the value of acupuncture and Chinese herbs. Acupuncture is useful in pain moderation and relieves various symptoms arising from acute spinal cord injury and acute ischemic stroke. Moreover, Chinese herbal extracts have been linked to wound repair, the alleviation of postmenopausal osteoporosis severity, and anti-tumor effects, among others. Different acupoints, variations in treatment duration, and herbal extracts can be used to alleviate various symptoms and conditions and to regulate biological pathways by altering gene and protein expression. Our paper demonstrates how systems biology has helped to establish a platform for investigating the efficacy of TCM in treating different diseases and improving treatment strategies.
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Jia J, Yu Y, Deng JH, Robinson N, Bovey M, Cui YH, Liu HR, Ding W, Wu HG, Wang XM. A review of Omics research in acupuncture: the relevance and future prospects for understanding the nature of meridians and acupoints. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2012; 140:594-603. [PMID: 22322253 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2012.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2011] [Revised: 01/16/2012] [Accepted: 01/21/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
RELEVANCE Acupuncture is an intrinsic part of traditional Chinese medicine. The current understanding of the acupuncture meridian system, acupoints and the potential utilizing Omics technologies are summarized in this review. MATERIAL AND METHODS A systematic search for acupuncture involving Omics technologies was carried out using multiple online literature databases. The records retrieved were from the full collections of each database dated to September 2011. Data produced from functional genomic technologies were extracted from the collected acupuncture/moxibustion studies and subjected to evaluation. Analyses and comments were summarized on the advances in experimental research in acupuncture/moxibustion-related studies, and the future for strategies and approaches in the era of functional genomics highlighted. RESULTS An overview of articles indicated that several diseases or symptoms with evidence of effectiveness had been piloted for using functional genomic technologies, such as Parkinson's disease, allergic disorders, pain, and spinal cord injury, most of which are chronic "difficult diseases". High-throughput genomic and proteomic profiling of gene expression in tissues has been able to identify potential candidates for the effects of acupuncture and provide valuable information toward understanding the possible mechanisms of the therapy. However, without further holistic and sophisticated analyses in the context of metabolomics and systems biology, the current attempts and the foreseeable developments appear to be insufficient to produce firm conclusions. Noticeably, the recent rapid advances in functional molecular imaging targeting specific metabolites have shown great promise and if combined with other post-genomic technologies, could be extremely helpful for the acupuncture studies in human subjects. CONCLUSION This review suggest that disease-oriented studies using the approach of multi-indexed high-throughput technologies and systems biology analyses will be a preferred strategy for future acupuncture/moxibustion research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Jia
- Department of Physiology, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, PR China
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An experimental electro-acupuncture study in treatment of the rat demyelinated spinal cord injury induced by ethidium bromide. Neurosci Res 2011; 70:294-304. [PMID: 21470565 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2011.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2010] [Revised: 03/26/2011] [Accepted: 03/28/2011] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) are one of the potential treating tools for multiple sclerosis (MS). Therefore, the cell number and differentiation of OPCs in a demyelinated spinal cord are crucial for improvement of reparative process. In the present study, we investigated whether "Governor Vessel (GV)" electro-acupuncture (EA) could efficiently promote increase in cell number and differentiation of OPCs into oligodendrocytes, remyelination and functional recovery in the demyelinated spinal cord. The spinal cord of adult Sprague-Dawley rats was microinjected with ethidium bromide (EB) at T10, to establish a demyelinated model. Six groups of animals were performed for the experiment. After 15 days EA treatment, neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) level and number of NG2-positive OPCs were significantly increased. Compared with the sham group, more NG2-positive OPCs were distributed between neurofilament (NF)-positive nerve fibres or closely associated with them in the lesion site and nearby tissue. In rats given longer EA treatment for 30 days, the number of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC)-positive oligodendrocytes was increased. Concomitantly, the number of newly formed myelins was increased. This was coupled by increase in endogenous oligodendrocyte involved in myelin formation. Furthermore, behavioural test and spinal cord evoked potential detection demonstrated a significant functional recovery in the EA+EB day 30 group. Our results suggest EA treatment can promote NT-3 expression, increase the cell number and differentiation of endogenous OPCs, and remyelination in the demyelinated spinal cord as well as the functional improvement of demyelinated spinal cord.
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