Chemokine CXCL1 in serum mediates the antinociceptive effect of manual acupuncture at ST36.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory pain is the most common type of pain encountered clinically. The analgesic effect of acupuncture has been well-documented. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the involvement of chemokine CXCL1 in the serum on manual acupuncture (MA)-induced antinociception. METHODS: Rats with inflammatory pain of the right hind paw were induced by intraplantar (i.pl.) administration of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). After wards, the CFA-injected rats were treated daily with MA at ST36 from Day 1 to Day 7, and thermal nociceptive thresholds (paw withdrawal latency; PWL) were analyzed. The concentration of CXCL1 in the serum of the rats was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) after the first and the last MA treatment. Subsequently, the rats were injected with two doses (5 or 10 µg) of recombinant CXCL1 through the tail vein daily from Day 1 to Day 7 or injected with two doses (6.4 or 16 µg) of anti-CXCL1 antibody using the same methods and course at 30 min before MA, and the PWLs were measured again. Finally, naloxone (500 µg, 0.1 mL) was administered by i.pl. injection into the inflamed paw 5 min before the last MA treatment or last injection of recombinant CXCL1. RESULTS: MA significantly increased the PWLs and upregulated the expression of serum CXCL1 in the CFA-injected rats. Without acupuncture, repeated tail vein injection of recombinant CXCL1 showed an analgesic effect on CFA-induced inflammatory pain. Conversely, the neutralization of serum CXCL1 by anti-CXCL1 antibody decreased MA-induced antinociception in a time-dependent manner. Anti-CXCL1 antibody injected just once before the first MA did not affect MA-induced antinociception. The analgesic effects of MA and recombinant CXCL1 were reversed by an i.pl. injection of naloxone. CONCLUSION: This study indicates MA at ST36 had an analgesic effect on inflammatory pain and found a novel function of CXCL1. Increased serum CXCL1 had an antinociceptive effect on inflammatory pain induced by CFA. CXCL1 in serum appeared to be a key molecule involved in the peripheral mechanism of MA-induced antinociception. The analgesic effect of MA or recombinant CXCL1 on inflammatory pain might be mediated through a peripheral opioid pathway, which needs further investigation.

Applying Statistical and Complex Network Methods to Explore the Key Signaling Molecules of Acupuncture Regulating Neuroendocrine-Immune Network.

The mechanisms of acupuncture are still unclear. In order to reveal the regulatory effect of manual acupuncture (MA) on the neuroendocrine-immune (NEI) network and identify the key signaling molecules during MA modulating NEI network, we used a rat complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) model to observe the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect of MA, and, what is more, we used statistical and complex network methods to analyze the data about the expression of 55 common signaling molecules of NEI network in ST36 (Zusanli) acupoint, and serum and hind foot pad tissue. The results indicate that MA had significant analgesic, anti-inflammatory effects on CFA rats; the key signaling molecules may play a key role during MA regulating NEI network, but further research is needed.

Efficacy and safety of manual acupuncture manipulations with different frequencies on epigastric pain syndrome (EPS) in functional dyspepsia (FD) patients: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Manual acupuncture (MA) manipulations are one of the key factors influencing acupuncture effects in traditional Chinese medicine theory. Different MA manipulations contain different stimulating parameters, thus generating different acupuncture responses or effects. Evidence has demonstrated that acupuncture is effective for functional dyspepsia (FD). However, the effects of different stimulating parameters of MA manipulations on FD remain unclear. METHODS/DESIGN: This study is a randomized controlled trial with a four-arm, parallel-group structure. Patients with FD with epigastric pain syndrome (EPS) will be included and randomly allocated into four groups: three MA manipulation groups (separately treated with a frequency of 1 Hz, 2 Hz, or 3 Hz) and a control group. All groups will receive omeprazole as a basic treatment and acupuncture: in the MA manipulation groups, the needles will be manipulated manually with three different frequencies on the basis when de qi is reached, while in the control group, the needles will be inserted without any manipulation. All patients will receive acupuncture treatment of five consecutive sessions per week for 2 weeks and be followed up at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The primary outcomes of the study include patients' response to the treatment. The secondary outcomes include dyspeptic symptoms, quality of life, mental status, fasting serum gastrin, motilin, and ghrelin concentrations, and adverse events. The protocol was approved by the Ethics committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (2016-K-057-01). DISCUSSION: The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MA manipulations with different stimulating parameters (different frequencies) on EPS in patients with FD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-IOR-16008189 . Registered on 30 March 2016.

[Development of Researches on Cytokine Mechanisms in Analgesia and Anti-inflammation in Acupuncture Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis].

Cytokines are closely related to the occurrence and development of rheumatoid arthritis(RA). Acupuncture exerts anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects via elevating anti-inflammatory cytokine level and reducing pro-inflammatory cytokine level and regulating Th 1/Th 2 balance, which reflects the dual directional regulatory effect of acupuncture. However, problems exist in the current researches, such as inadequate depth, limited breadth and not so up-to-date research focus. The mediocre research level and the phenomena of some contradictory results among studies also need being concerned. Therefore, progress may be attained if a holistic, dynamic and networked study is conducted on the influence of acupuncture on cytokines by combining the latest progress in the mechanisms of network of cytokines and neuroendocrine immune network, and high throughput cytokine capture assay. In this way, the mechanism of cytokines in multi-targets (such as local joints, peripheral blood circulation, central nervous system) involving the effects of acupuncture in improving RA will be known more.

[Acupoint: the sensor of the information in the organic body].

Based on the structure and function of acupoint and in association of the definition and principle of sensor, the acupoint is the sensitive element, being sensitive to the physical stimulation with acupuncture and moxibustion and sensitively responded to the disorders; the acupoint is the sensing element, transforming the changes of the acupoint information via the complicated internet conduction, integration and regulation, so as to generate the effects on organic body; the acupoint is the conversion element, transforming every irritation into the bioelectric signal or optical signal so that the organic body could recognize it. Therefore, the acupoint is regarded as the sensor of information in the organic body.