Abstract
The NLRP3 inflammasome coordinates inflammation in response to different pathogen- and damage-associated molecular patterns, being implicated in different infectious, chronic inflammatory, metabolic and degenerative diseases. In chronic tendinopathic lesions, different non-resolving mechanisms produce a degenerative condition that impairs tissue healing and which therefore complicates their clinical management. Percutaneous needle electrolysis consists of the application of a galvanic current and is an emerging treatment for tendinopathies. In the present study, we found that galvanic current activates the NLRP3 inflammasome and induces an inflammatory response that promotes a collagen-mediated regeneration of the tendon in mice. This study establishes the molecular mechanism of percutaneous electrolysis that can be used to treat chronic lesions and describes the beneficial effects of an induced inflammasome-related response.
Highlights
Galvanic current applied using a percutaneous needle is an emerging and minimally invasive technique that seeks to regenerate damaged tissues (Valera-Garrido et al, 2014)
99 The detailed molecular mechanism behind percutaneous needle electrolysis inducing an inflammatory response has not been yet described, so we studied if NLRP3 inflammasome could be activated via galvanic currents and if doing so would lead to tissue regeneration
We found that applying galvanic current via percutaneous needle electrolysis activated the NLRP3 inflammasome and induced the release of IL-1 and IL-18 from macrophages
Summary
Galvanic current applied using a percutaneous needle is an emerging and minimally invasive technique that seeks to regenerate damaged tissues (Valera-Garrido et al, 2014). Percutaneous needle electrolysis consists of applying a galvanic current through an acupuncture needle and combining mechanical and electrical stimulation of the tissue that results in a local controlled microtrauma This microtrauma in turn generates a local inflammatory response that makes possible and fosters the repair of the affected tissue (Valera Garrido and Minaya-Muñoz, 2019). NLRP3 inflammasome is a multiprotein complex induced in myeloid cells after the detection of damage- or pathogen-associated molecular patterns, including elevated concentrations of extracellular ATP, changes in extracellular osmolarity or detection of insoluble particles and crystals, such as uric acid crystals or amyloid deposition (Amores-Iniesta et al, 2017; Compan et al, 2012; Heneka et al, 2013; Mayor et al, 2006) These triggers induce NLRP3 activation over other inflammasomes as they decrease intracellular K+ concentration resulting in conformational change of NLRP3 structure and, active NLRP3 oligomers (Muñoz-Planillo et al, 2013; Tapia Abellán et al, 2021). All this indicates that the NLRP3 inflammasome plays an important role in the regenerative response of the tendon after application of therapeutically percutaneous needle electrolysis
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