Electroacupuncture promotes macrophage/microglial M2 polarization and suppresses inflammatory pain through AMPK.

Inflammatory pain, the most prevalent disease globally, remains challenging to manage. Electroacupuncture emerges as an effective therapy, yet its underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. This study investigates whether adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-regulated silent information regulator 1 (SIRT1) contributes to electroacupuncture's antinociceptive effects by modulating macrophage/microglial polarization in the spinal dorsal horn of a mouse model of inflammatory pain.

Risk factors for postoperative delirium in elderly patients undergoing heart valve surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

Background: The aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly patients undergoing heart valve surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

Methods: Elderly patients undergoing elective heart valve surgery with CPB in The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University between March 2022 and March 2023 were selected for this investigation. They were divided into a POD group and a non-POD group.

Impact of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation on Delayed Neurocognitive Recovery in Elderly Patients Following Bronchoscopy.

Background: Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a significant neurological issue after surgery, linked to increased mortality, extended hospital stays, higher costs, and workforce dropout. However, effective prevention methods for POCD remain elusive.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the impact of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on the cognitive function of elderly patients after bronchoscopy.

Silencing miRNA-324-3p protects against cerebral ischemic injury via regulation of the GATA2/A1R axis.

Previous studies have suggested that miR-324-3p is related to the pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia, but the mechanism underlying this relationship is unclear. In this study, we found that miR-324-3p expression was decreased in patients with acute ischemic stroke and in in vitro and in vivo models of ischemic stroke. miR-324-3p agomir potentiated ischemic brain damage in rats subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion, as indicated by increased infarct volumes and cell apoptosis rates and greater neurological deficits.

Analgesia with 5' extracellular nucleotidase-mediated electroacupuncture for neuropathic pain.

Background: Acupuncture is a treatment for neuropathic pain, but its mechanism remains unclear. Previous studies showed that analgesia was induced in rats with neuropathic pain when their spinal cord adenosine content increased after electroacupuncture (EA); however, the mechanism behind this electroacupuncture-induced increase has not been clarified.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the role that ecto-5'-nucleotidase plays in EA-induced analgesia for neuropathic pain.

[Effect of Yes-associated protein in regulation of electroacupuncture pretreatment on cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury rats].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment on inflammatory reaction, apoptosis and expression of Yes-associated protein (YAP) of ischemic penumbra of cerebral cortex in cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury rats, and to explore the possible mechanism of its neuroprotection effect.

Methods: A total of 84 SD rats were randomized into a sham operation group (12 rats), a model group (18 rats), an EA group (18 rats), an EA+YAP virus transfection group (18 rats) and an EA+virus control group (18 rats). Except for the sham operation group, thread embolization method was adopted to establish the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model in rats of the other groups.

[Study on efficacy specificity of electroacupuncture at "Zusanli "(ST36) and "Baihui" (GV20) in cerebral ischemia and inflammatory pain rats].

Objective: To explore the efficacy difference between electroacupuncture (EA) at "Zusanli" (ST36) and "Baihui" (GV20) for inflammatory pain and cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI) in rats.

Methods: In 1st part of this study, 90 male SD rats were randomly divided into sham-operation, model (induced by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery and reperfusion), GV20 EA, ST36 EA，and sham EA groups (=16 in each group). In the 2nd part of the study, 40 male SD rats were randomized into saline injection (control), inflammatory pain model (subcutaneous injection of complete Freund's adjuvant ［CFA］ into the right paw), ST36 EA, GV20 EA, and sham EA groups (=8 in each group).

The Effect of Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation on Postoperative Catheter-Related Bladder Discomfort in Patients Undergoing Transurethral Resection of the Prostate.

Background: Catheter-related bladder discomfort (CRBD), an extremely distressing complication secondary to an indwelling urinary catheterization, is frequently reported in patients with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), postoperatively. A prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind study was designed to assess the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) as a treatment for CRBD in patients undergoing TURP.

Methods: Seventy benign prostatic hyperplasia male patients undergoing TURP under general anesthesia requiring intraoperative urinary catheterization were enrolled for the trial.

Role of spinal adenosine A1 receptors in the analgesic effect of electroacupuncture in a rat model of neuropathic pain.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the role of spinal adenosine A1 receptors (A1Rs) in the analgesic effects of electroacupuncture (EA) for neuropathic pain.

Methods: We performed EA for 30 minutes at the zusanli acupoint in the legs of rats with previously induced chronic constriction injuries and observed the mechanical and thermal pain thresholds 1 hour later. We also examined adenosine levels by high-performance liquid chromatography and A1R expression in the L4-6 spinal cord by western blot analysis.

[Involvement of miR-34a and p53 protein of cerebral cortex in electroacpuncture analgesia in mice with neuropathic pain].

Objective: To explore the involvement of miR-34a in cerebral cortex mediated anti-hyperalgesic effect of electroacupuncture (EA) in mice with neuropathic pain induced by chronic constriction injury (CCI) of sciatic nerve, so as to reveal its mechanisms underlying improvement of neuropathic pain.

Methods: A total of 75 male C57BL/6 mice were equally randomized into 3 groups: sham, CCI model and CCI+EA (=25 in each group). Mice of the sham group received simple separation of the right sciatic nerve without ligation.

[Effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation on pulmonary function and oxidative stress response in lower extremity surgery patients using tourniquet].

Objective: To investigate the effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on pulmonary function, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in patients using tourniquet after lower extremity surgery.

Methods: A total of 40 patients who underwent lower extremity surgery were equally randomized into control group and TEAS group by using a random number table. All patients underwent lumbar epidural anesthesia combined with block anesthesia.

Electroacupuncture-induced neuroprotection against focal cerebral ischemia in the rat is mediated by adenosine A1 receptors.

The activation of adenosine A1 receptors is important for protecting against ischemic brain injury and pretreatment with electroacupuncture has been shown to mitigate ischemic brain insult. The aim of this study was to test whether the adenosine A1 receptor mediates electroacupuncture pretreatment-induced neuroprotection against ischemic brain injury. We first performed 30 minutes of electroacupuncture pretreatment at the acupoint (GV20), delivered with a current of 1 mA, a frequency of 2/15 Hz, and a depth of 1 mm.

Repeated Electroacupuncture Persistently Elevates Adenosine and Ameliorates Collagen-Induced Arthritis in Rats.

The aim of this paper was to investigate the effect of repeated electroacupuncture (EA) over 21 days on the adenosine concentration in peripheral blood of rats with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). Wistar rats were divided into three groups of 6 animals each: sham-control, CIA-control, and CIA-EA. We determined the adenosine concentration in peripheral blood and assessed pathological changes of ankle joints.

Carnosic acid attenuates neuropathic pain in rat through the activation of spinal sirtuin1 and down-regulation of p66shc expression.

Background: It has been reported that carnosic acid (CA) exhibits a range of biological activities including hepatoprotective, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. However, the effect of carnosic acid in neuropathic pain remained elusive.

Methods: A neuropathic pain model of chronic constriction injury (CCI) was established in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats.

[Adenosine Al Receptor Mediated Neuroprotection of Shenmai Injection on Rat Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury: an Experimental Study].

Objective: To observe whether adenosine Al receptor (Al R) mediated neuroprotection of Shenmai Injection (SI) on rat cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury.

Methods: The focal cerebral I/R model was established by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Totally 60 successfully modeled rats was divided into 5 groups according to randomized block principle, i.

Loss of ICA69 potentiates long-lasting hyperalgesia after subcutaneous formalin injection into the mouse hindpaw.

Islet-cell autoantigen 69 kDa (ICA69) plays an important role in many diseases and physiological activities by forming heteromeric complexes with protein interacts with C-kinase 1 (PICK1). PICK1 is critical for inflammatory pain hypersensitivity by regulating trafficking of AMPA receptor subunit GluA2 in spinal neurons. However, the role of ICA69 in inflammatory pain has not yet been investigated.

Enhanced NLRP3, caspase-1, and IL- 1β levels in degenerate human intervertebral disc and their association with the grades of disc degeneration.

The NACHT, LRR, and PYD domains-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome plays an important role in a variety of diseases. However, the role of NLRP3 in the human intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration remains unknown. In the present study, we assessed the expression levels of the NLRP3 inflammasome and its downstream targets caspase-1 and IL-1β in 45 degenerate and seven nondegenerate IVD samples.

Silencing airway epithelial cell-derived hepcidin exacerbates sepsis induced acute lung injury.

Introduction: The production of antimicrobial peptides by airway epithelial cells is an important component of the innate immune response to pulmonary infection and inflammation. Hepcidin is a β-defensin-like antimicrobial peptide and acts as a principal iron regulatory hormone. Hepcidin is mostly produced by hepatocytes, but is also expressed by other cells, such as airway epithelial cells.

[Effect of ginsenoside Rb1 on cerebral infarction volume and IL-1 beta in the brain tissue and sera of focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury model rats].

Objective: To investigate the effect of ginsenoside Rb1 on cerebral infarction volume as well as IL-1 beta in the brain tissue and sera of focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury model rats.

Methods: The I/R rat model was established by using thread according to Zea-Longa. SD rats were randomly divided into five groups, i.

[Effect of transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation on stress in brain surgery with propofol target controlled infusion general anesthesia].

Objective: To study the effect of transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation (TAES) on stress who received propofol target controlled infusion (TCI) general anesthesia in brain surgery.

Methods: Totally 40 neurosurgical patients of I-II grade (ASA grading) in our hospital were randomly divided into the TAES group (T group) and the control group (C group), 20 in each group. All patients received intravenous anesthesia by propofol TCI.

[Efficacy of preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting after thyroid tumor surgery by TAES at neiguan (P1): a clinical observation].

Objective: To observe the clinical efficacy of transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation (TAES) combined intravenous injection and/or Neiguan (P6) injection with droperidol in preventing and treating post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) after thyroid tumor surgery.

Methods: Recruited were 120 female patients who underwent selective thyroid tumor surgery were randomly assigned to the control group, the TAES group, the IV group (intravenous injection of droperidol), and the P6 group [Neiguan point (P6) injection of droperidol], respectively, 30 cases in each group. Thirty min before anesthesia induction, 2 mL 0.

[Effect of transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation combined with target controlled infusion of propofol on efficacy of general anesthesia for craniotomy].

Objective: To observe the effect of transcutaneous acupoint electrical stimulation (TAES) combined with target controlled infusion of Propofol on the doses of Propofol and adjuvant drugs, and on the resuscitation time of general anesthesia for craniotomy patients.

Methods: Forty patients (aged 27 - 65 years), scheduled for craniotomy and signed the informed consent, were randomly and equally divided into TAES group and control group. Patients of the two groups received intravenous anesthesia mainly with target controlled infusion of Propofol.

[Effects of ginsenoside Rb1 on the mRNA expression of tyrosine kinase B in the hippocampus of acute immobilization stress rats].

Objective: To observe the effects of acute immobilization stress on the mRNA expression of tyrosine kinase B (TrkB) in rats' hippocampus.

Methods: Eighteen SD rats were randomly divided into three groups, i.e.