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Ma Q. Somatotopic organization of autonomic reflexes by acupuncture. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 76:102602. [PMID: 35780689 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Acupuncture has been practiced for more than 2000 years in China and now all over the world. One core idea behind this medical practice is that stimulation at specific body regions (acupoints) can distantly modulate organ physiology, but the underlying scientific basis has been long debated. Here, I summarize evidence supporting that long-distant acupuncture effects operate partly through somato-autonomic reflexes, leading to activation of sympathetic and/or parasympathetic pathways. I then discuss how the patterning of the somatosensory system along the rostro-caudal axis and the cutaneous-deep tissue axis might explain acupoint specificity and selectivity in driving specific autonomic pathways, particularly those modulating gastrointestinal motility and systemic inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiufu Ma
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Chao L, Gonçalves AS, Campos ACP, Assis DV, Jerônimo R, Kuroki MA, Sant'Anna FM, Meas Y, Rouxeville Y, Hsing W, Pagano RL. Comparative effect of dense-and-disperse versus non-repetitive and non-sequential frequencies in electroacupuncture-induced analgesia in a rodent model of peripheral neuropathic pain. Acupunct Med 2021; 40:169-177. [PMID: 34758667 DOI: 10.1177/09645284211055751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuropathic pain (NP) is a complex disease that remains challenging to treat. Low-frequency dense-and-disperse (DD) electroacupuncture (EA) has been used as adjuvant therapy for neuropathic pain; however, its analgesic effect decreases as stimulation time increases, or when it is repeatedly used. We hypothesized that a new frequency parameter could improve the effectiveness of EA, and aimed to compare the efficacy and duration of the analgesic effect between classic DD-EA and non-repetitive and non-sequential frequency (random frequency (RF)-EA) in neuropathic rats. Furthermore, the effect of RF-EA at local traditional acupuncture point locations versus auricular vagus nerve stimulation (aVNS) was evaluated. METHODS Male Wistar rats with peripheral neuropathy were subjected to a single session of DD-EA or RF-EA for 20 or 40 min at ST36 + GB34. An additional group of rats was treated with RF-EA for 20 min using aVNS at the appropriate ear point locations. Paw pressure test, von Frey filaments and spontaneous pain scores were evaluated. Sham-operated rats were used as controls. RESULTS In all, 20 min of RF-EA reversed hyperalgesia (for 24 h) and allodynia (for 8 h), showing a longer analgesic effect than DD-EA. Both RF-EA and DD-EA induced partial inhibition of spontaneous pain for 8 h. Forty minutes of DD-EA did not interfere with the NP phenomena; however, RF-EA induced significant long-term analgesia. aVNS induced an analgesic effect similar to local stimulation. CONCLUSION This pilot study shows that RF-EA at both local traditional acupuncture point and auriculotherapy point locations induces long-lasting analgesia in neuropathic rats, and more effectively so than classical DD-EA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liaw Chao
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Hospital Sírio-Libanês, São Paulo, Brazil.,Acupuncture Center, Hospital das Clínicas, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Daniele V Assis
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Hospital Sírio-Libanês, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Jerônimo
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Hospital Sírio-Libanês, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mayra A Kuroki
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Hospital Sírio-Libanês, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Yunsan Meas
- Centre d'évaluation et de traitement de la douleur (CETD) and Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Yves Rouxeville
- International College of Auriculomedicine and Auriculotherapy Review
| | - Wu Hsing
- Acupuncture Center, Hospital das Clínicas, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rosana L Pagano
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Hospital Sírio-Libanês, São Paulo, Brazil
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Park JY, Cho SJ, Lee SH, Ryu Y, Jang JH, Kim SN, Park HJ. Peripheral ERK modulates acupuncture-induced brain neural activity and its functional connectivity. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5128. [PMID: 33664320 PMCID: PMC7933175 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84273-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Acupuncture has been widely used as a therapeutic intervention, and the brain network plays a crucial role in its neural mechanism. This study aimed to investigate the acupuncture mechanism from peripheral to central by identifying how the peripheral molecular signals induced by acupuncture affect the brain neural responses and its functional connectivity. We confirmed that peripheral ERK activation by acupuncture plays a role in initiating acupuncture-induced peripheral proteomic changes in mice. The brain neural activities in the neocortex, hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus, periaqueductal grey, and nucleus of the solitary tract (Sol) were significantly changed after acupuncture, and these were altered by peripheral MEK/MAPK inhibition. The arcuate nucleus and lateral hypothalamus were the most affected by acupuncture and peripheral MEK/MAPK inhibition. The hypothalamic area was the most contributing brain region in contrast task PLS analysis. Acupuncture provoked extensive changes in brain functional connectivity, and the posterior hypothalamus showed the highest betweenness centrality after acupuncture. After brain hub identification, the Sol and cingulate cortex were selected as hub regions that reflect both degree and betweenness centrality after acupuncture. These results suggest that acupuncture activates brain functional connectivity and that peripheral ERK induced by acupuncture plays a role in initiating brain neural activation and its functional connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Yeun Park
- College of Korean Medicine, Daejeon University, 62 Daehak-ro, Dong-gu, Daejeon, 34520, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong-Jin Cho
- Clinical Medicine Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, 1672 Yuseong-daero, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34054, Republic of Korea
| | - Soon-Ho Lee
- Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul, 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeonhee Ryu
- Clinical Medicine Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, 1672 Yuseong-daero, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34054, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Hwan Jang
- Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul, 02447, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Nam Kim
- College of Korean Medicine, Dongguk University, 32 Dongguk-Ro, Goyang, 10326, Republic of Korea
| | - Hi-Joon Park
- Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemoon-gu, Seoul, 02447, Republic of Korea.
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Park JY, Namgung U. Electroacupuncture therapy in inflammation regulation: current perspectives. J Inflamm Res 2018; 11:227-237. [PMID: 29844696 PMCID: PMC5963483 DOI: 10.2147/jir.s141198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Although acupuncture therapy is increasingly used to treat diverse symptoms and disorders in humans, its underlying mechanism is not known well. Only recently have experimental studies begun to provide insights into how acupuncture stimulation generates and relates to pathophysiological responsiveness. Acupuncture intervention is frequently used to control pathologic symptoms in several visceral organs, and a growing number of studies using experimental animal models suggest that acupuncture stimulation may be involved in inducing anti-inflammatory responses. The vagus nerve, a principal parasympathetic nerve connecting neurons in the central nervous system to cardiovascular systems and a majority of visceral organs, is known to modulate neuroimmune communication and anti-inflammatory responses in target organs. Here, we review a broad range of experimental studies demonstrating anti-inflammatory effects of electroacupuncture in pathologic animal models of cardiovascular and visceral organs and also ischemic brains. Then, we provide recent progress on the role of autonomic nerve activity in anti-inflammation mediated by electroacupuncture. We also discuss a perspective on the role of sensory signals generated by acupuncture stimulation, which may induce a neural code unique to acupuncture in the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Yeun Park
- Department of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon University, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Uk Namgung
- Department of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon University, Daejeon, South Korea
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Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Acupuncture Stimulation via the Vagus Nerve. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0151882. [PMID: 26991319 PMCID: PMC4798687 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/04/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Although acupuncture therapy is widely used in traditional Asian medicine for the treatment of diverse internal organ disorders, its underlying biological mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we investigated the functional involvement of acupuncture stimulation (AS) in the regulation of inflammatory responses. TNF-α production in mouse serum, which was induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) administration, was decreased by manual acupuncture (MAC) at the zusanli acupoint (stomach36, ST36). In the spleen, TNF-α mRNA and protein levels were also downregulated by MAC and were recovered by using a splenic neurectomy and a vagotomy. c-Fos, which was induced in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve (DMV) by LPS and electroacupuncture (EAC), was further increased by focal administration of the AMPA receptor blocker CNQX and the purinergic receptor antagonist PPADS. TNF-α levels in the spleen were decreased by CNQX and PPADS treatments, implying the involvement of inhibitory neuronal activity in the DVC. In unanesthetized animals, both MAC and EAC generated c-Fos induction in the DVC neurons. However, MAC, but not EAC, was effective in decreasing splenic TNF-α production. These results suggest that the therapeutic effects of acupuncture may be mediated through vagal modulation of inflammatory responses in internal organs.
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Xu J, Chen L, Tang L, Chang L, Liu S, Tan J, Chen Y, Ren Y, Liang F, Cui J. Electroacupuncture inhibits weight gain in diet-induced obese rats by activating hypothalamic LKB1-AMPK signaling. BMC COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2015; 15:147. [PMID: 25963634 PMCID: PMC4485871 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-015-0667-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 04/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Background Electroacupuncture (EA) is reported to be an effective treatment for obesity, but its mechanism is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between hypothalamic LKB1-AMPK-ACC signaling and EA. Methods Fifty male Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into two groups fed either chow (chow-fed group) or high-fat diet (HF group). After 4 weeks of feeding, obese rats in the HF group (defined as weighing 20 % or more than rats in the chow-fed group) were randomly allocated into an EA or Diet-induced obesity (DIO) group. The EA group was given EA on bilateral ST25–ST36 for 4 weeks, while the DIO group received no further intervention. Body weight of the chow-fed, DIO, and EA groups were measured weekly. mRNA and protein levels of the hypothalamic LKB1-AMPK-ACC signaling pathway were detected using real-time (RT)-PCR and western blot, respectively. Results After 4 weeks of EA treatment, the weight growth trend of rats in the EA group was inhibited compared with those in the DIO group. RT-PCR and western blotting showed that EA upregulated the transcription of Adenosine 5′-monophosphate -activated protein kinase α2 (AMPKα2), promoted protein expression of Liver kinase B1 (LKB1) and AMPKα1, and inhibited acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) protein expression in the hypothalamus. Conclusions This study suggests that hypothalamic LKB1-AMPK-ACC signaling plays an important role in EA treatment for obesity.
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Kim MH, Park YC, Namgung U. Acupuncture-stimulated activation of sensory neurons. J Acupunct Meridian Stud 2012; 5:148-55. [PMID: 22898063 DOI: 10.1016/j.jams.2012.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2011] [Revised: 03/09/2012] [Accepted: 03/16/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Acupuncture is one of the key therapeutics in clinical oriental medicine, and recent studies using experimental animals have begun to provide the pathophysiological basis for the efficacy of acupuncture. Here, we investigated neuronal responses in rodent models given acupuncture stimulation. In both mice and rats, acupuncture stimulation at zusanli (ST36) generated an increased expression of axonal growth-associated protein (GAP-43) in the sensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG). Electroacupuncture stimulation at ST36 in rats induced GAP-43 mRNA and protein expression in DRG neurons at the levels of lumbar 4 and 5. Stimulation on a non-acupuncture site as a sham control induced GAP-43 expression as well, but the induction level was lower than it was with acupuncture. We further found that acupuncture stimulation upregulated phospho-Erk1/2 signals in DRG neurons. Electroacupuncture stimulation induced c-Fos expression in the neurons of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve (DMV), which was identified by retrograde tracing. These data suggest that acupuncture stimulation may generate physiological effects on the autonomic nervous system via the activation of a somatosensory pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Hee Kim
- Department of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon University, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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The relationship of subjective sleep quality and cardiac autonomic nervous system in postmenopausal women with insomnia under auricular acupressure. Menopause 2011; 18:638-45. [DOI: 10.1097/gme.0b013e31820159c1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Current world literature. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes 2011; 18:83-98. [PMID: 21178692 DOI: 10.1097/med.0b013e3283432fa7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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