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Chen Y, Liu Y, Song Y, Zhao S, Li B, Sun J, Liu L. Therapeutic applications and potential mechanisms of acupuncture in migraine: A literature review and perspectives. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1022455. [PMID: 36340786 PMCID: PMC9630645 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1022455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Acupuncture is commonly used as a treatment for migraines. Animal studies have suggested that acupuncture can decrease neuropeptides, immune cells, and proinflammatory and excitatory neurotransmitters, which are associated with the pathogenesis of neuroinflammation. In addition, acupuncture participates in the development of peripheral and central sensitization through modulation of the release of neuronal-sensitization-related mediators (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, glutamate), endocannabinoid system, and serotonin system activation. Clinical studies have demonstrated that acupuncture may be a beneficial migraine treatment, particularly in decreasing pain intensity, duration, emotional comorbidity, and days of acute medication intake. However, specific clinical effectiveness has not been substantiated, and the mechanisms underlying its efficacy remain obscure. With the development of biomedical and neuroimaging techniques, the neural mechanism of acupuncture in migraine has gained increasing attention. Neuroimaging studies have indicated that acupuncture may alter the abnormal functional activity and connectivity of the descending pain modulatory system, default mode network, thalamus, frontal-parietal network, occipital-temporal network, and cerebellum. Acupuncture may reduce neuroinflammation, regulate peripheral and central sensitization, and normalize abnormal brain activity, thereby preventing pain signal transmission. To summarize the effects and neural mechanisms of acupuncture in migraine, we performed a systematic review of literature about migraine and acupuncture. We summarized the characteristics of current clinical studies, including the types of participants, study designs, and clinical outcomes. The published findings from basic neuroimaging studies support the hypothesis that acupuncture alters abnormal neuroplasticity and brain activity. The benefits of acupuncture require further investigation through basic and clinical studies.
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Claassen JAHR, Thijssen DHJ, Panerai RB, Faraci FM. Regulation of cerebral blood flow in humans: physiology and clinical implications of autoregulation. Physiol Rev 2021; 101:1487-1559. [PMID: 33769101 PMCID: PMC8576366 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00022.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 304] [Impact Index Per Article: 101.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain function critically depends on a close matching between metabolic demands, appropriate delivery of oxygen and nutrients, and removal of cellular waste. This matching requires continuous regulation of cerebral blood flow (CBF), which can be categorized into four broad topics: 1) autoregulation, which describes the response of the cerebrovasculature to changes in perfusion pressure; 2) vascular reactivity to vasoactive stimuli [including carbon dioxide (CO2)]; 3) neurovascular coupling (NVC), i.e., the CBF response to local changes in neural activity (often standardized cognitive stimuli in humans); and 4) endothelium-dependent responses. This review focuses primarily on autoregulation and its clinical implications. To place autoregulation in a more precise context, and to better understand integrated approaches in the cerebral circulation, we also briefly address reactivity to CO2 and NVC. In addition to our focus on effects of perfusion pressure (or blood pressure), we describe the impact of select stimuli on regulation of CBF (i.e., arterial blood gases, cerebral metabolism, neural mechanisms, and specific vascular cells), the interrelationships between these stimuli, and implications for regulation of CBF at the level of large arteries and the microcirculation. We review clinical implications of autoregulation in aging, hypertension, stroke, mild cognitive impairment, anesthesia, and dementias. Finally, we discuss autoregulation in the context of common daily physiological challenges, including changes in posture (e.g., orthostatic hypotension, syncope) and physical activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jurgen A H R Claassen
- Department of Geriatrics, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Dick H J Thijssen
- Department of Physiology, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Ronney B Panerai
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
- >National Institute for Health Research Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Frank M Faraci
- Departments of Internal Medicine, Neuroscience, and Pharmacology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
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Wang S, Liu K, Wang Y, Wang S, He X, Cui X, Gao X, Zhu B. A Proposed Neurologic Pathway for Scalp Acupuncture: Trigeminal Nerve-Meninges-Cerebrospinal Fluid-Contacting Neurons-Brain. Med Acupunct 2017; 29:322-326. [PMID: 29067143 DOI: 10.1089/acu.2017.1231] [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] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Scalp acupuncture is a somatic stimulation therapy that produces prominent clinical effects when used to treat cerebral diseases. However, this acupuncture's therapeutic mechanisms have not yet been well-addressed. Scalp acupoints are innervated by the trigeminal nerve, which is coincident with the intracranial sensory afferents as well as with the meningeal vessels. In recent years, cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons have been found and proved to transmit allergic substances between brain the parenchyma and meninges, representing a possible network between scalp acupuncture and the brain. The aim of the current study was to observe the connections between scalp acupoints and the meninges and to establish a possible mechanism for scalp acupuncture. Materials and Methods: Twenty-five adult Sprague-Dawley rats were used for the present study. Evans Blue dye (Sigma Chemical Co, St. Louis, MO) was injected though each rat's caudal vein after trigeminal stimulation for plasma extravasation observation. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) values of the rat's brain surface were measured at different timepoints before and after electroacupuncture (EA) on GB 15 (Toulinqi) or ST 36 (Zusanli). Results: These preliminary studies indicated that neurogenic plasma extravasation on a rat's skin and dura mater after mechanical or electrical stimulation of the trigeminal nerves is a reliable way to show the pathologic connection between scalp acupoints and the meninges. Moreover, CBF of the rat's brain surface is increased significantly after EA stimulation at GB 15 (Toulinqi), which is located in the receptive field of the supraorbital nerve. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the mechanism of scalp acupuncture might lie in the specific neurologic pathway that could be termed as trigeminal nerve-meninges-cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons-brain, which is a possible shortcut to brain functional regulation and cerebral disease treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuya Wang
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kun Liu
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Wang
- Combination of Acupuncture and Medicine Innovation Research Center, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, China
| | - Shuyou Wang
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xun He
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiang Cui
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyan Gao
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bing Zhu
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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Valença MM, Andrade-Valença LPA, Bordini CA, Speciali JG. Thunderclap headache attributed to reversible cerebral vasoconstriction: view and review. J Headache Pain 2008; 9:277-88. [PMID: 18668199 PMCID: PMC3452202 DOI: 10.1007/s10194-008-0054-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2008] [Accepted: 06/20/2008] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Thunderclap headache attributed to reversible cerebral vasoconstriction (THARCV) is a syndrome observed in a number of reported cases. In this article we reviewed this new headache entity (idiopathic form) using the clinical-radiological findings of 25 reported patients. In this series of patients 72% were women, the mean age at the onset of first headache episode was 39.4 +/- 2.3 years. In addition to the sine qua non condition of being abrupt and severe (thunderclap) at the onset, the headache was usually described as being explosive, excruciating, or crushing. The feature of pulsatility, accompanied or not by nausea was described by 80% of the patients. Forty percent of the cases manifested vomiting and 24% photophobia. Usually the headache was generalized, and in three cases it was unilateral at least at the onset. In 21 of 25 patients (84%) there was at least one recurrence or a sudden increase in the intensity of the headache. A past history of migraine was present in 52% of the patients. Precipitating factors were identified in 56% of the patients. Sexual intercourse was described by six patients. Of the 25 patients with THARCV syndrome studied, 12 (48%) developed focal neurological signs, transitory ischemic attack (n = 1), or ischemic stroke (n = 11, 44%), and two (8%) of them manifested seizures. The THARCV syndrome is a neurological disturbance perhaps more frequent than expected, preferentially affecting middle aged female migraineurs, and having an unpredictable prognosis, either showing a benign course or leading to stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo M Valença
- Division of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
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Getchell ML, Kulkarni AP. Identification of neutrophils in the nonsensory epithelium of the vomeronasal organ in virus-antibody-free rats. Cell Tissue Res 1995; 280:139-51. [PMID: 7750129 PMCID: PMC7087650 DOI: 10.1007/bf00304519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Cells infiltrating the nonsensory epithelium of the vomeronasal organ of virus-antibody-free rats exhibited surface immunoreactivity for beta 2-microglobulin and immunoglobulin (Ig) E. They were further characterized by using immunohistochemical techniques with antibodies to cell-specific markers or histochemical techniques for immunocytes with surface receptors for IgE. Localization of intracellular granules immunoreactive for lactoferrin and CD18, a leukocyte adhesion molecule, unequivocally identified these cells as neutrophils. The low number of IgA- and IgG-immunoreactive B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, and accessory immunocytes in the vomeronasal organ as well as the rest of the nasal cavity confirmed the absence of infection. We hypothesize that the operation of the vomeronasal pump induces repeated episodes of transient focal ischemia followed by reperfusion, which results in release of neutrophil chemoattractants and modulation of adhesion factors that regulate the extravasation and migration of neutrophils into the nonsensory epithelium. The distribution of immunoreactivity for interleukin 8 suggests that it is not the primary neutrophil chemoattractant in this system while that of CD18 suggests its active involvement in neutrophil extravasation. In addition to their role in immune surveillance, neutrophils may stimulate ion/water secretion into the vomeronasal lumen, affecting the perireceptor processes regulating stimulus access and clearance from the sensory epithelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- M L Getchell
- Department of Surgery, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington 40536
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Kay
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, St Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Sakas DE, Moskowitz MA, Wei EP, Kontos HA, Kano M, Ogilvy CS. Trigeminovascular fibers increase blood flow in cortical gray matter by axon reflex-like mechanisms during acute severe hypertension or seizures. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1989; 86:1401-5. [PMID: 2919186 PMCID: PMC286699 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.86.4.1401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Cerebral blood flow was measured and compared in 10 symmetrical brain regions following unilateral trigeminal ganglionectomy (n = 13), sham operation (n = 6), or trigeminal root section (rhizotomy) (n = 8) in cats. Multiple determinations were obtained in anesthetized and paralyzed animals using radiolabeled microspheres during (i) normocapnia-normotension, (ii) hypercapnia (5% CO2/95% room air), (iii) angiotensin-induced acute severe hypertension (190 greater than mean arterial blood pressure less than 210 mmHg), or (iv) bicuculline-induced seizures. Flow was symmetrical in all brain regions at rest and during increases induced by hypercapnia in the three groups. During severe hypertension or seizures, marked elevations developed bilaterally (approximately 93% and approximately 130%, respectively). In ganglionectomized animals, increases due to hypertension or seizures were attenuated by 28-32% on the denervated side within cortical gray matter regions corresponding to the anterior, middle, and posterior cerebral arteries. Flow was symmetrical within all brain regions in sham-operated animals and in the rhizotomy group, despite comparable increases in regional cerebral blood flow induced by angiotensin. Hence, the trigeminal nerve mediates blood flow adaptations during severe hypertension and seizures. Furthermore, since trigeminal cell bodies and peripheral axons are destroyed or degenerate following ganglionectomy but not following rhizotomy, local "axon reflex-like" mechanisms mediate these increases in cerebral blood flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- D E Sakas
- Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston 02114
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