Action Of Acupuncture Research Articles

Effects of Acupuncture on Cartilage Degradation and Joint Pain in Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, resulting from joint decline, leads to various symptoms including joint pain, stiffness, tenderness, and local inflammation. These symptoms may be caused by the remodeling of the five structural phenotypes: inflammatory, subchondral bone, meniscal cartilage, atrophic, and hypertrophic phenotypes. Studies have shown that acupuncture can inhibit cartilage degradation by regulating extracellular matrix-degradation and enzyme synthesis. Notably, the efficacy of acupuncture treatment in osteoarthritis may be attributed to regulated inflammation and apoptosis of chondrocytes, as well as endogenous opioid production, and activation of the endocannabinoid systems (in the central and peripheral nervous systems), to contribute towards cartilage protection and joint pain relief. This review provides a current summary of the mechanisms of action of acupuncture in osteoarthritis, indicating that acupuncture, a therapy with fewer side effects than conventional medications, may be an effective treatment strategy for the management of osteoarthritis.

Mechanism of cognitive processing for acupuncture action on generalized anxiety with naturally occurring consecutive partial sleep deprivation in early adulthood: a randomized controlled study and evaluation of event-related potentials.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common mental disorder that often begins in adolescence or early adulthood and is characterized by widespread and persistent anxiety. Partial sleep deprivation (PSD) is an important risk factor for GAD development and a common comorbidity. Adolescence is a period of rapid brain and nervous system development, and during this time, the occurrence of GAD can lead to neurocognitive deficits, such as impaired attention, cognitive control, and attention bias, that significantly affect cognitive function. However, relatively little research has been conducted on GAD comorbid with PSD in early adulthood compared with other psychiatric disorders. Clinical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating GAD and sleep disorders, but the mechanism of how acupuncture modulates neurocognitive processing in patients with GAD comorbid with PSD has not been clarified. In this randomized clinical trial, a total of 56 participants diagnosed with GAD comorbid with naturally occurring PSD and 28 healthy controls (HCs) will be recruited. The participants diagnosed with GAD comorbid with PSD will be randomly assigned to either the acupuncture group or the sham acupuncture group at a 1:1 ratio. The primary outcome measure is the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA). Secondary outcome measures are the Sleep Deprivation Index (SDI), the Self-Assessment Scale for Anxiety (SAS), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Additionally, three psychological paradigms (the attentional network test, psychomotor vigilance test, and emotional face Go/No-go) and event-related potential (ERP) data. Healthy volunteers will not undergo acupuncture but will instead participate in baseline assessments for the scales, mental paradigms, and ERP data. Acupuncture and sham acupuncture interventions will be conducted for 30 min, three times a week, over a 2-week period. Evaluations will be performed at zero weeks (baseline), 1 week, and 2 weeks, with the data enumerator, outcome assessor, and participant blinded to the treatment assignment. This study contributes to the exploration of the effects of acupuncture on improving anxiety symptoms and cognitive functions in individuals with comorbid GAD and PSD. ClinicalTrials.gov, ChiCTR2400082221. Registered March 25, 2024.

Magnetic resonance imaging studies on acupuncture therapy in cerebral ischemic stroke: A systematic review

Research has started using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to elucidate the action of acupuncture on neuroplasticity following ischemic stroke (IS). Acupuncture is thought to be a potentially beneficial treatment for IS. However, the results remain inconsistent because of MRI processing techniques and study design variations. Therefore, this coordinate-based meta-analysis and systematic review aimed to assess the current state of knowledge about the regional brain fMRI imaging characteristics in acupuncture-treated IS patients. Twenty studies—including 392 IS patients and 256 health controls—met the inclusion criteria after searches via Chinese and English databases. The design techniques utilized in this research were mainly owned before-and-after controlled and randomized controlled trials. Only one study used independent component analysis (ICA), while the majority of MRI analytical techniques focus on functional connectivity (FC) and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF/ALFF). The findings demonstrated a significant rise in the ALFF value of the left supplementary motor region after treatment with acupuncture. The left cerebellum, right inferior frontal gyrus, and hemisphere lobule VIII all showed substantial activation of Reho values. The triangular portion, BA 48, the left inferior network and inferior longitudinal fasciculus, as well as other brain areas decreased in the left inferior frontal gyrus; most research has used FC analysis employing motor areas as seed regions. We found that acupuncture regulated the motor-related network and reorganized the language-related network. Furthermore, acupuncture appears therapeutic for several IS effects, which may be connected to how acupuncture regulates the brain's plasticity.

Research Progress on the Mechanism of Action of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Chronic Functional Constipation

Research Progress on the Mechanism of Action of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Chronic Functional Constipation

Discussion on the effects of acupuncture-medication combination

This article summarizes and discusses the collaborative effects of acupuncture and medication in treatment, including four aspects, named "acupuncture synergizing the effects of medication", "medication advancing the effects of acupuncture", "coordination of acupuncture and medication", and "antagonism of acupuncture and medication". Regarding "acupuncture synergizing the effects of medication", the actions of acupuncture are predominant, which affects the absorption and metabolism of drugs in the body, increases drug concentration in blood, enhances the targeting effect of drugs, guides meridian tropism, alleviates the drug dose and adverse reactions, avoids the first pass effect and accelerates the drug bioavailability. As for "medication advancing the effects of acupuncture", the synergistic effect of acupuncture is obtained by medication, besides, the medication itself may supplement the drug property to the needles during acupuncture pretreatment so as to increase the therapeutic effect. In terms of "coordination of acupuncture and medication", and "antagonism of acupuncture and medication", there are the underlying co-effects of acupuncture and medication in the body, and the action targets may be same or different between them, thus, it needs to be further explored.

The Body as an Electronic Scheme.

There is no clear evidence that acupuncture points and meridians are separate organs or specific tissues. However, in traditional Chinese medicine, the mechanism of acupuncture action is associated with the vital energy concept. To identify the body's energy source and the material basis of its transmission, transformation, and use, it is necessary to consider it as an energy-generating object, with all its components. By abstracting from the body's usual structural view, we found that it is an autonomous energy-generating object. The human body generates energy through the lungs and digestive tract, which are electrochemical generator organs. Because the generated energy must be transferred to the consumer, the body has wire and transformer analogs. It bears an obvious resemblance with an electronic circuit, where cellular structures, tissues, and their combinations act as electrical and radioelements. The heart, brain, and muscles, which have well-known electrical parameters, as well as acupuncture points, offer information about the state of these electronic circuits. This article describes an extra-organ approach for systematizing body structures. It also attempts to represent the meridians and acupuncture points system as integral electro-radioelements, as well as the local circuit components of the whole body's electronic scheme.

Acupuncture in the treatment of cocaine addiction: how does it work?

Cocaine is a frequently abused and highly addictive drug that damages brain health and imposes substantial social and economic costs. Acupuncture has been used in the treatment of cocaine addiction and has been shown to improve abnormal mental and motor states. This article mainly focuses on the neurobiological mechanisms involving the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) that underlie the effects of acupuncture in the treatment of cocaine addiction. The central dopamine system is a key player in acupuncture treatment of cocaine addiction; the ventral tegmental area (VTA)-nucleus accumbens (NAc) signaling pathway, which has a modulatory influence on behavior and psychology after chronic use of cocaine, is a significant target of acupuncture action. Moreover, acupuncture alleviates cocaine-induced seizures or acute psychomotor responses through the paraventricular thalamus and the lateral habenula (LHb)-rostromedial tegmental (RMTg) nucleus circuits. The data suggest that acupuncture can impact various cocaine-induced issues via stimulation of diverse brain areas; nevertheless, the interconnection of these brain regions and the PNS mechanisms involved remain unknown. In this review, we also discuss the effects of specific acupuncture protocols on cocaine addiction and note that variations in needling modalities, current intensities and traditional acupuncture point locations have led to different experimental results. Therefore, standardized acupuncture protocols (with respect to stimulation methods, point locations and number of sessions) may become particularly important in future studies.

Application of Electroencephalographic Techniques in the Study of the Mechanism of Action of Acupuncture

Application of Electroencephalographic Techniques in the Study of the Mechanism of Action of Acupuncture

Efficacy and mechanism of acupuncture for functional constipation in older adults: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Functional constipation (FC) is a common functional gastrointestinal disorder in clinical practice, with the prevalence of which increasing with age. With the increasing aging of the population worldwide, this problem is bound to become more prominent. Acupuncture is effective and recommended for the treatment of FC. However, little is known about how acupuncture affects the gut microbiota and inflammatory cytokines and thus improves gut function. Meanwhile, there are few high-quality clinical trials specifically focusing on acupuncture in treating FC in older people. The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in treating FC in older people. Additionally, the research aims to explore the mechanism of action of acupuncture in treating FC in older people by affecting intestinal microbiota and inflammation cytokines. This study is designed as a single-center, randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial. A total of 98 eligible FC patients will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio into an acupuncture group and a sham acupuncture group. Both groups will receive 24 treatments over 8 weeks with a 12-week follow-up. The primary outcome of the study is the treatment response rate, which is the proportion of participants with ≥3 mean weekly Complete Spontaneous Bowel Movements (CSBMs) over weeks 3-8. The secondary outcomes will include the proportion of participants with ≥3 mean weekly CSBMs during other assessment periods; the percentage of patients with ≥1 increase in mean weekly CSBMs from baseline; the average changes in CSBMs; Patient Assessment of Constipation-Symptoms (PAC-SYM), Bristol Stool Scale, Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAC-QOL), Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) and weekly usage of emergency bowel medications. Adverse events will be recorded throughout the study. Data for the outcomes will be collected at Week 0 (baseline), Week 4 (the intervention period), Week 8 (the post-treatment), Week 12 (the follow-up period) and Week 20 (the follow-up period). In addition, changes in intestinal microbiota will be analyzed using 16S rRNA high-throughput detection, and the concentration of relevant inflammatory cytokines in serum will be measured by ELISA based on blood samples. The intention-to-treat analysis will be performed in this study.Clinical trial registration: [https://www.chictr.org.cn/], identifier [ChiCTR2300070735].

Effect of fire needle combined with traditional Chinese medicine on psoriasis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The mechanism of action of fire acupuncture and Chinese medicine in psoriasis is unclear. In this paper, the efficacy of the 2 therapies was compared through a comprehensive analysis of their recurrence rates for clinical reference. In this meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, CQVIP, and CBM data from the establishment of the databases to May 2023. The study proposed to use randomized controlled trial research methods, excluding published literature, unpublished literature, literature with incomplete or inadequate information, animal experiments, literature reviews and systematic studies. Data were processed using STATA 15.1 software. Our group previous study found that the clinical efficacy of the fire-acupuncture group was significantly improved compared to that of Chinese herbal medicine alone (RR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.13-1.27). Also, there were significant reductions in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score (SMD = -1.04,95% CI: -1.48 to -0.60), area of skin damage (SMD = -0.40,95% CI: -0.75 to -0.04), and pruritus (SMD = -1.04,95% CI: -1.32 to -0.76). Our previous study found that Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) was significantly lower in the fire acupuncture group compared to herbal medicine alone (SMD = -1.61,95% CI: -3.08 to -0.15). The combined analysis found that the recurrence rate was significantly lower in the fire-acupuncture group compared to herbal medicine alone (RR = 0.21,95% CI:0.07-0.60). Fire needle can improve the efficacy of TCM in the treatment of psoriasis, including the area, severity and itching of skin lesions, and reduce the recurrence rate, which is worthy of clinical promotion.

RESULTS OF IMMUNE STATUS IN SICK CHILDREN WITH ATOPIC DERMATITIS USING ACUNE REFLEX THERAPY AND EXTERNAL THERAPY

Increasing the effectiveness of the treatment of dermatological patients with atopic dermatitis is an important social task. Purpose of the study. To study immunological indicators in children with atopic dermatitis and develop a method of corrective therapy in the process of acupuncture with the use of Broncho-munal. Materials and research methods. 32 children with atopic dermatitis aged 12 to 14 years were under observation. The results of the studies allow us to conclude that acupuncture has a normalizing effect on the parameters of the humoral link of the immune system of girls with atopic dermatitis. The question arises about the possible mechanisms of such action of acupuncture. Research results: The mean values ​​of the levels of immunoglobulins A, G, M in children with atopic dermatitis before treatment did not significantly differ from normal values. An increase in the level of IgG was found in 14 (43.7%) patients. Of particular interest was the study of total IgE in patients with atopic dermatitis. In most patients during the period of exacerbation, a pronounced hyperproduction of IgE was found. The highest average level of IgE was observed in sick children with moderate severity of the disease. Findings: In the pathogenesis of sick children with atopic dermatitis, there is a change in the functional activity of the humoral link of immunity, expressed in an increase in the level of serum IgE.

Evidencias de los efectos parasimpáticos y simpáticos de la acupuntura mediante la variabilidad de la frecuencia cardíaca: implicaciones multisistémicas

Heart rate variability (HRV) indirectly reflects the activity of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) on cardiac function, which is modified by both internal and external stimuli, reflecting the body's self-regulatory capacity. In this article we describe some general aspects of HRV and its implications for health and disease. Likewise, we show experimental evidence emphasizing that acupuncture under certain conditions increases vagal tone, to cope with the wear and tear generated by stressors, and in other conditions activates the sympathetic response to mobilize resources. We expose HRV as a tool to evaluate the effects of acupuncture on the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, and its implications in other body systems. We propose that a mechanism of action of acupuncture to modulate the digestive, immune, cardiovascular, respiratory, and gynecological systems, including conditions such as stress, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and metabolism, corresponds to the activity it exerts on the sympathetic branch and parasympathetic of the ANS, which can be evidenced by HRV.

Pengaruh Terapi Akupunktur Terhadap Glikohemoglobin Darah pada Pasien Obesitas di Pos Kesehatan Lansia Surakarta

Abstract Background: Obesity and overweight are often associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The impact of obesity and overweight is not only one of the factors causing dysfunction of organs such as the heart, blood vessels, nerves and senses of sight and touch to peripheral nerve damage, but also causes a decrease in the quality of human resources, caused by physical and mental disorders to increase health costs. The incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Indonesia is 10.6 million between the ages of 20 - 79 years out of a total Indonesian population aged 20 - 75 years of 175.1 million. Based on the results of the International Diabetes Federation survey, 2019, Indonesia is ranked 7th in the world with the highest number of diabetes mellitus patients. Objectives: HbA1C examination is an examination that aims to predict the onset of DM disease by knowing the degree of blood glucose metabolism during the last 2-3 months. The International Expert Committee determined the importance of HbA1C examination in screening DM disease diagnosis (American Diabetic Association, 2014). Methods: This study used a quasi-experimental approach with a control group. This quasi-experimental research is a study that manipulates acupuncture therapy treatment in obese and overweight patients. This study involved 1 group, namely the treatment group to find the cause and effect relationship, as well as the amount of contribution between these relationships. Results: Bivariate analysis of data using paired t test on blood glucose levels of overweight patients amounted to 0.655 with a probability significance level (sig.) p of 0.524. This shows that the sig. p value of 0.524> p 0.05, meaning that acupuncture action in overweight patients has no effect on blood glucose levels. Conclusion: Analysis of Hb.A1c data in overweight patients showed 9.167 and a probability significance value of p=0.000. This shows that acupuncture action in overweight patients has an effect on Hb.A1c levels. Keywords: Acupuncture, Uric Acid, Elderly

Effect of acupuncture on BDNF signaling pathways in several nervous system diseases.

In recent years, the understanding of the mechanisms of acupuncture in the treatment of neurological disorders has deepened, and considerable progress has been made in basic and clinical research on acupuncture, but the relationship between acupuncture treatment mechanisms and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has not yet been elucidated. A wealth of evidence has shown that acupuncture exhibits a dual regulatory function of activating or inhibiting different BDNF pathways. This review focuses on recent research advances on the effect of acupuncture on BDNF and downstream signaling pathways in several neurological disorders. Firstly, the signaling pathways of BDNF and its function in regulating plasticity are outlined. Furthermore, this review discusses explicitly the regulation of BDNF by acupuncture in several nervous system diseases, including neuropathic pain, Parkinson's disease, cerebral ischemia, depression, spinal cord injury, and other diseases. The underlying mechanisms of BDNF regulation by acupuncture are also discussed. This review aims to improve the theoretical system of the mechanism of acupuncture action through further elucidation of the mechanism of acupuncture modulation of BDNF in the treatment of neurological diseases and to provide evidence to support the wide application of acupuncture in clinical practice.

Serum metabolomics probes the molecular mechanism of action of acupuncture on metabolic pathways related to glucose metabolism in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome-related obesity.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine syndrome, and obesity is the most common clinical manifestation. Acupuncture is effective in treating PCOS, but the differences in the biological mechanisms of acupuncture therapy and Western medicine treatment have not been determined. Thus, the purpose of this study was to find glucose metabolism-related pathways in acupuncture treatment and differentiate them from Western medical treatment. Sixty patients with PCOS-related obesity were randomly distributed into three groups: patients receiving (1) acupuncture treatment alone, (2) conventional Western medicine treatment, and (3) acupuncture combined with Western medicine treatment. A targeted metabolomics approach was used to identify small molecules and metabolites related to glucose metabolism in the serum of each group, and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was used to analyze different metabolic fractions. The results showed acupuncture treatment modulates the activity of citric and succinic acids in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, regulates glycolytic and gluconeogenesis pathways, and improves the levels of sex hormones and energy metabolism. The intervention effects on the metabolic pathways were different between patients receiving combination therapy and patients receiving acupuncture therapy alone, suggesting that the dominant modulatory effect of Western drugs may largely conceal the efficacy of acupuncture intervention.

RESULTS OF IMMUNE STATUS IN SICK CHILDREN WITH NEURODERMITIS USING ACUNE REFLEX THERAPY AND EXTERNAL THERAPY

Increasing the effectiveness of the treatment of dermatological patients with neurodermitis is an important social task. This is due to the significant spread of a number of dermatoses and the severe course of some of them. The traditional methods of treatment currently used in dermatology are far from always effective, and sometimes they themselves are associated with a variety of side effects and complications, sometimes very severe. In this regard, the great interest that is manifested in non-drug methods of therapy is understandable. One of these methods is acupuncture. Purpose of the study. To study immunological indicators in children with neurodermitis and develop a method of corrective therapy in the process of acupuncture with the use of broncho-munal. Materials and research methods. 32 children with neurodermitis aged 12 to 14 years were under observation. The results of the studies allow us to conclude that acupuncture has a normalizing effect on the parameters of the humoral link of the immune system of girls with neurodermitis. The question arises about the possible mechanisms of such action of acupuncture. In addition to the well-known general effects of acupuncture on the human body in the form of stimulation of the function of the adrenal cortex, the central nervous system, a decrease in the level of certain biologically active substances, the possibility of a direct effect of acupuncture on some lymphoid organs through the acupuncture points responsible for them is not excluded. Conclusions: In the pathogenesis of sick children with neurodermitis, there is a change in the functional activity of the humoral link of immunity, expressed in an increase in the level of serum IgE. Acupuncture, being an effective method of treating girls with neurodermitis, has a normalizing effect on some of the altered parameters of the humoral immunity in children with neurodermitis. expressed in an increase in the level of serum IgE. Acupuncture, being an effective method of treating girls with neurodermitis, has a normalizing effect on some of the altered parameters of the humoral immunity in children with neurodermitis. expressed in an increase in the level of serum IgE. Acupuncture, being an effective method of treating girls with neurodermitis, has a normalizing effect on some of the altered parameters of the humoral immunity in children with neurodermitis.

Structural and functional improvement of amygdala sub-regions in postpartum depression after acupuncture.

This study aimed to analyze the changes in structure and function in amygdala sub-regions in patients with postpartum depression (PPD) before and after acupuncture. A total of 52 patients with PPD (All-PPD group) were included in this trial, 22 of which completed 8 weeks of acupuncture treatment (Acu-PPD group). An age-matched control group of 24 healthy postpartum women (HPW) from the hospital and community were also included. Results from the 17-Hamilton Depression Scale (17-HAMD) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were evaluated, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scans were performed at baseline and after the acupuncture treatment. Sub-regions of the amygdala were used as seed regions to measure gray matter volume (GMV) and analyzed for resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) values separately. Finally, correlation analyses were performed on all patients with PPD to evaluate association values between the clinical scale scores, GMV, and RSFC values, while controlling for age and education. Pearson's correlation analyses were conducted to investigate the relevance between GMV and RSFC values of brain regions that differed before and after acupuncture treatment and clinical scale scores in Acu-PPD patients. The HAMD scores for Acu-PPD were reduced after acupuncture treatment (P < 0.05), suggesting the positive effects of acupuncture on depression symptoms. Structurally, the All-PPD group showed significantly decreased GMV in the left lateral part of the amygdala (lAMG.L) and the right lateral part of the amygdala (lAMG.R) compared to the HPW group (P < 0.05). In addition, the GMV of lAMG.R was marginally increased in the Acu-PPD group after acupuncture (P < 0.05). Functionally, the Acu-PPD group showed a significantly enhanced RSFC between the left medial part of the amygdala (mAMG.L) and the left vermis_6, an increased RSFC between the right medial part of the amygdala (mAMG.R) and left vermis_6, and an increased RSFC between the lAMG.R and left cerebelum_crus1 (P < 0.05). Moreover, correlation studies revealed that the GMV in the lAMG.R was significantly related to the EPDS scores in the All-PPD group (P < 0.05). Our findings demonstrated that the structure of amygdala sub-regions is impaired in patients with PPD. Acupuncture may improve depressive symptoms in patients with PPD, and the mechanism may be attributed to changes in the amygdala sub-region structure and the functional connections of brain areas linked to the processing of negative emotions. The fMRI-based technique can provide comprehensive neuroimaging evidence to visualize the central mechanism of action of acupuncture in PPD.

Exploring the mechanism of acupuncture for Parkinson's disease based on network pharmacology techniques

Objective: To explore the potential mechanism of action of acupuncture for Parkinson's disease using network pharmacology. Methods: Firstly, Parkinson's disease-related targets were collected from the DisGeNET disease database, followed by the GEO database to obtain the possible targets of acupuncture for Parkinson's disease, and the targets of the active substance-dopamine produced after acupuncture were predicted in the SuperPred database. All target IDs were converted into corresponding gene IDs in the UniProt database. Finally, the disease targets of Parkinson's disease were intersected with the potential targets of acupuncture treatment to obtain the key targets of acupuncture for Parkinson's disease, and these key targets were analyzed for GO and KEGG pathway enrichment. Results: A total of 2079 targets for Parkinson's disease were obtained, 3193 targets for acupuncture treatment of Parkinson's disease, and 24 key targets. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis was performed on the key targets, and the most significant GO entries and key pathways were obtained for targets in cellular components, molecular functions and biological processes. Conclusion: Acupuncture may treat Parkinson's disease via activating cAMP signaling pathway, IL−17 signaling pathway and dopaminergic synapse.

Current situation and prospect of researches on regularities and mechanisms of acupuncture-moxibustion in alleviating chronic inflammatory response

The inflammatory response plays an important role in the onset, development and prognosis of inflammatory diseases and a variety of chronic diseases. Long-term uncontrolled inflammatory response may lead to dysfunction or loss of organ tissue function. Clinical practice and evidence-based medicine suggest that acupuncture can effectively alleviate the inflammatory status of various inflammatory diseases and chronic diseases. Stimulation of acupoints related to internal organs and target organs can initiate neuromodulation by modulating the microenvironment of acupoints. After integration of acupuncture stimulus information in the central nervous system, neurotransmitters, hormones, etc. are released and ultimately act on immune cells through neuro-endocrine-immune pathways, such as the vagus-mediated cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, vagus nerve-adrenal medullary-dopamine pathway, somatic sympathetic nerve pathway, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, etc. Ultimately, the intracellular signaling pathways and polarization balance of monocytes/macrophages and T cell subsets are regulated and the immune homeo-stasis of target organs of the body realizes. Therefore, we proposed that the anti-inflammatory action of acupuncture may be one of the universal therapeutic strategies for multiple diseases, and a powerful interpretation of acupuncture in regulating the balance of yin and yang. The elucidation of its anti-inflammatory action rules and mechanism may better realize the clinical transformation of acupuncture and moxibustion precision treatment.

Research progress on the immunomodulatory mechanism of acupuncture in tumor immune microenvironment.

With the constantly deeper understanding of individualized precision therapy, immunotherapy is increasingly developed and personalized. The tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) mainly consists of infiltrating immune cells, neuroendocrine cells, extracellular matrix, lymphatic vessel network, etc. It is the internal environment basis for the survival and development of tumor cells. As a characteristic treatment of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture has shown potentially beneficial impacts on TIME. The currently available information demonstrated that acupuncture could regulate the state of immunosuppression through a range of pathways. An effective way to understand the mechanisms of action of acupuncture was to analyze the response following treatment of the immune system. This research reviewed the mechanisms of acupuncture regulating tumor immunological status based on innate and adaptive immunity.