[Bibliometric analysis on the literature characteristics of animal experiment research with acupuncture and moxibustion].

Objective: To compare the diversities in the literature characteristics of animal experiments with acupuncture and moxibustion (acu-moxibustion) published in both Chinese and English, so as to summarize the similarities and differences in the reporting content for the animal experiment research with acu-moxibustion in the journals at home and abroad.

Methods: The articles of animal experiments with acu-moxibustion published from 2016 to 2018 were searched from CNKI, Wanfang, SinoMed, PubMed and Web of Science databases. The articles were screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the database was established by importing the essential information, e.

Electroacupuncture relieves hyperalgesia by regulating neuronal-glial interaction and glutamate transporters of spinal dorsal horns in rats with acute incisional neck pain.

Objective: Glial cells are involved in the analgesic effect of electroacupuncture (EA) in rats with chronic neurological pain. The objective of this study was to observe the role of neuronal-glial interaction and glutamate (Glu) transporters in EA-induced acute neck pain relief in rats.

Materials And Methods: Male rats were placed into the following five groups: control, model, EA Futu (LI18), EA Hegu (LI4)-Neiguan (PC6), and EA Zusanli (ST36)-Yanglingquan (GB34).

[κ-opioid receptor is involved in electroacupuncture analgesia via inhibition of spinal microglial Toll-like receptor 4 in neuropathic pain rats].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the expression of lumbar spinal κ-opioid receptor (KOR) and Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4) in microglia in neuropathic pain rats, so as to explore the role of cross-talk between KOR and TLK4 in EA-induced alleviation of chronic neuropathic pain.

Methods: Wistar male rats were randomized into control, model, EA and EA plus KOR inhibitor (EA+inhibitor) groups (=18 in each group). The neuropathic pain model was established in rats by ligature of the right sciatic nerve.

[Spinal cord Toll like receptor 4 and its co-stimulatory molecule heat shock protein 90 may parti-cipate in electroacupuncture analgesia in rats with chronic neuropathic pain].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the expression of Toll like receptor 4(TLR4)and heat shock protein 90(HSP90) in the spinal cord of rats with chronic constriction injury (CCI) of sciatic nerve, so as to explore the mechanism of spinal cord TLR4 and HSP90 in alleviating chronic neuropathic pain by EA.

Methods: Male Wistar rats were randomized into control, model, EA, HSP90 inhibitor (inhibitor) and EA+ inhibitor groups (=10 in each group). The neuropathic pain model was established by ligature of the right sciatic nerve to induce CCI.

GABAergic Inhibition of Spinal Cord Dorsal Horns Contributes to Analgesic Effect of Electroacupuncture in Incisional Neck Pain Rats.

Background: Acupuncture has shown to be effective in relieving post-surgical pain. Nonetheless, its underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the expression of GABA, GABA-A receptor (R) and GABA-BR in the spinal cord dorsal horns (DHs), and the involved neural cells in rats with incisional neck pain.

[Electroacupuncture alleviated incisional neck pain possibly by suppressing TNF-α expression and increasing IL-4/IL-4 receptor signaling in cervical dorsal part of spinal cord in incisio-nal neck pain rats].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on incisional pain and expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-10 (IL-10) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) of cervical dorsal part of spinal cord in rats with incisional neck pain, so as to explore its analgesic mechanisms.

Methods: Eighty-four male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control, model, EA-Futu(LI18) and EA-Zusanli(ST36)-Yanglingquan(GB34, EA-ST36-GB34) groups (=21 in each group). The incisional neck pain model was established by making a longitudinal incision along the bilateral cervical thyroid regions and repeated mechanical separation stimulation.

[High Mobility Group Box 1/ CD 24 Receptor/β-EP Signaling in "Zusanli" (ST 36) Region Contributes to Electroacupuncture Analgesia in Rats with Neuropathic Pain].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the expression of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB 1) and its receptor CD 24 proteins and β-endorphin (β-EP) content in "Zusanli" (ST 36) region in rats with chronic constriction injury (CCI), so as to explore its mechanisms underlying pain relief.

Methods: Thirty male Wistar rats were rando-mized into control, CCI model and EA groups (＝ 10 rats in each). The neuropathic pain model was established by ligature of the left sciatic nerve to induce CCI in the model and EA groups, and sham operation was performed in rats of the control group.

Repeated electroacupuncture treatment attenuated hyperalgesia through suppression of spinal glial activation in chronic neuropathic pain rats.

Background: Cumulated evidence reveals that glial cells in the spinal cord play an important role in the development of chronic neuropathic pain and are also complicated in the analgesic effect of EA intervention. But the roles of microgliacytes and astrocytes of spinal cord in the process of EA analgesia remain unknown.

Methods: A total of 120 male Wistar rats were used in the present study.

[Effect of Electroacupuncture Intervention on Expression of Synaptic Plasticity-related Molecules in Amygdala in Chronic Pain-negative Affection Rats].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on expression of synaptic plasticity-related glutamate N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunit NR 1, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor subunits (Aβ 2, B 1), etc. in the amygdala in chronic neuropathic pain negative affection (CNPPNA) rats, so as to reveal its mechanism underlying pain relief.

Methods: Male Wistar rats were randomized into normal control, CNPPNA model, EA, and anesthesia+EA (AEA)groups (=14 in each group, 8 for quantitative RT-PCR and 6 for immunofluorescence staining).

Activation of hippocampal MEK1 contributes to the cumulative antinociceptive effect of electroacupuncture in neuropathic pain rats.

Background: Electroacupuncture (EA) intervention can relieve a variety of pain; however, optimal EA protocols have not been clearly determined. In addition, although central mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) signaling has been shown to be involved in the antinociceptive effect of acupuncture stimulation, its characteristics at different time-points of EA intervention have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, the present study investigated the relationship between the effects of different numbers of EA intervention sessions and the activation of MEK1 in the hippocampus and hypothalamus in a rat model of neuropathic pain.

Electroacupuncture Reduces the Effects of Acute Noxious Stimulation on the Electrical Activity of Pain-Related Neurons in the Hippocampus of Control and Neuropathic Pain Rats.

To study the effects of acupuncture analgesia on the hippocampus, we observed the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK) inhibitor on pain-excited neurons (PENs) and pain-inhibited neurons (PINs) in the hippocampal area CA1 of sham or chronic constrictive injury (CCI) rats. The animals were randomly divided into a control, a CCI, and a U0126 (MEK1/2 inhibitor) group. In all experiments, we briefly (10-second duration) stimulated the sciatic nerve electrically and recorded the firing rates of PENs and PINs.

[Effect of Electroacupuncture Intervention on Expression of Pain Sensory and Affective Proce- ssing-related µ-opioid Receptor, etc. in the Amygdala in Chronic Neuropathy Pain Rats].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on expression of pain sensory and affective processing-related µ-opioid receptor (MOR), glutamatergic AMPA receptor subunit GIuA 1, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK 1/2), cAMP response element binding protein(CREB) in the amygdala in chronic constrictive injury (CC) + negative affection(NA) rats, so as to reveal its mechanism underlying pain relief.

Methods: A total of 32 male Wistar rats were randomized into normal control, model, EA, and anesthesia+ EA (AEA) groups (n = 8 in each group). The neuropathic pain NA model was established by ligation of the left sciatic nerve and repeated electrical stimulation of the paw-bottom in the pain-paired compartment.

Involvement of hippocampal acetylcholinergic receptors in electroacupuncture analgesia in neuropathic pain rats.

Background: Cumulating evidence has shown a close correlation between electroacupuncture stimulation (EAS) frequency-specific analgesic effect and central opioid peptides. However, the actions of hippocampal acetylcholinergic receptors have not been determined. This study aims to observe the effect of different frequencies of EAS on the expression of hippocampal muscarinic and nicotinic acetylcholinergic receptors (mAChRs, nAChRs) in neuropathic pain rats for revealing their relationship.

Effect of Repeated Electroacupuncture Intervention on Hippocampal ERK and p38MAPK Signaling in Neuropathic Pain Rats.

Results of our past studies showed that hippocampal muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR)-1 mRNA and differentially expressed proteins participating in MAPK signaling were involved in electroacupuncture (EA) induced cumulative analgesia in neuropathic pain rats, but the underlying intracellular mechanism remains unknown. The present study was designed to observe the effect of EA stimulation (EAS) on hippocampal extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) and p38 MAPK signaling in rats with chronic constrictive injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve, so as to reveal its related intracellular targets in pain relief. After CCI, the thermal pain thresholds of the affected hind were significantly decreased compared with the control group (P < 0.

NK cells mediate the cumulative analgesic effect of electroacupuncture in a rat model of neuropathic pain.

Background: Cumulating evidence has revealed the effectiveness of acupuncture therapy in relieving pain via immunoregulation. However, its underlying mechanism remains unknown. The present study was designed to determine the changes of immunogenic responses at different time-points of electroacupuncture (EA) interventions in neuropathic pain rats.

Effect of Electroacupuncture Intervention on Expression of CGRP, SP, COX-1, and PGE2 of Dorsal Portion of the Cervical Spinal Cord in Rats with Neck-Incision Pain.

The present study was aimed to determine if cervicospinal substance P (SP) and its neurokinin-1 receptor (NK-1R), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were involved in electroacupuncture (EA) analgesia in neck-incision pain rats. EA intervention was applied to bilateral Futu (LI18), Hegu (LI4)-Neiguan (PC6), and Zusanli (ST36)-Yanglingquan (GB34) for 30 min. Cervicospinal SP and CGRP immunoactivity was detected by immunofluorescence technique, NK-1R and COX-1 protein and mRNA expression levels were determined using Western blot and real-time PCR, respectively, and PGE2 content was measured using ELISA.

[Involvement of hippocampal NO/PKG signaling pathway in the accumulative analgesic effect of electroacupuncture stimulation of "Zusanli" (ST 36)-"Yanglingquan"(GB 34) in chronic neuropathic pain rats].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at "Zusanli"(ST 36)-"Yanglingquan"(GB 34) on pain behavior and expression of hippocampal neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS)and cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) mRNA in rats with chronic neuropathic pain so as to analyze its mechanism underlying analgesia.

Methods: Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control, CCI model, EA-2 Hz, EA-2 Hz/15 Hz, EA-100 Hz groups, with 8 cases in each group. Chronic neuropathic pain model was established by ligature of the left sciatic nerve under anesthesia (Urethane + Alpha-Chloralose) except rats in the control group.

Differential proteomics analysis of the analgesic effect of electroacupuncture intervention in the hippocampus following neuropathic pain in rats.

Background: Evidence is building steadily on the effectiveness of acupuncture therapy in pain relief and repeated acupuncture-induced pain relief is accompanied by improvement of hippocampal neural synaptic plasticity. To further test the cellular and molecular changes underlying analgesic effect of acupuncture, the global change of acupuncture associated protein profiles in the hippocampus under neuropathic pain condition was profiled.

Methods: The chronic constrictive injury (CCI) model was established by ligature of the unilateral sciatic nerve in adult Wistar rats.

Analysis on interrelation between electroacupuncture-induced cumulative analgesic effect and hypothalamic cholinergic activities in chronic neuropathic pain rats.

Objective: To observe the effects of repeated electroacupuncture (EA) of Zusanli (ST36)- Yanglingquan (GB34) on hypothalamic acetylcholinesterase (AchE) and vesicular acetylcholine (ACh) transporter (VAChT) activities and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) mRNA and muscarinic M1 receptor (M1R) mRNA expression in chronic constrictive injury (CCI) and/or ovariectomy (OVX) rats so as to reveal its underlying mechanism in cumulative analgesia.

Methods: A total of 103 female Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal control (n =15), CCI (n =15), CCI+EA2d (n =15), CCI+EA2W (n =15), OVX+CCI =13), OVX+CCI+EA2d (n =15), and OVX+CCI+EA2W groups (n =15). CCI model was established by ligature of the unilateral sciatic nerve with surgical suture.

[Effects of electroacupuncture of "Futu" (LI 18), etc. on pain behavior and expression of GABA receptor subunit genes in cervical spinal cord in rats with thyroid regional pain].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at different acupoints on the expression of gamma aminobutyric (GABA) receptor (R) subunit genes in the cervical spinal cord in rats with thyroid regional inflammatory pain so as to analyze its analgesic mechanism for thyroid surgery.

Methods: A total of 50 Wistar rats were randomized into control, model, Futu (LI 18), Hegu (LI 4)-Neiguan (PC 6, LI 4-PC 6), Zusanli (ST 36)-Yanglingquan (GB 34, ST 36-GB 34) groups, with 10 rats in each group. Thyroid regional pain model was established by subcutaneous injection of 2.

Effects of electroacupuncture at different points on colorectal distention-induced changes in blood pressure, electrogastrogram, gastric tension and gastric blood flow.

Objective: To investigate the specificity of the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at different acupoints on gastric functional activity and gastric blood flow after colorectal distension (CRD) in the rat.

Methods: Fifty Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: a control group, a Zusanli group, a non-point group, a Taichong group and a Neiguan group. Rats were anesthetized after 18 h of fasting, and a rat model of nociceptive blood pressure elevation and abnormal electrogastrogram (EGG) and gastric tension (GT) was prepared by gasbag-induced CRD.

[Effects of electroacupuncture at "Futu" (LI 18), etc. on expression of spinal 5-HT 1 AR mRNA, 5-HT 2 AR mRNA and protein in rats with neck incision pain].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at bilateral "Futu" (LI 18), etc. on the expression of 5-HT 1 A receptor (R) mRNA, 5-HT2 AR mRNA and protein in the spinal cord of rats with neck incision pain, so as to explore its underlying mechanism in relieving incision pain.

Methods: A total of 48 Wistar rats were randomly divided into control, model (incision pain), Futu (LI 18), Hegu (LI 4)-Neiguan (PC 6, LI 4-PC 6), Zusanli (ST 36)-Yanglingquan (GB 34) cervical cord (ST 36-GB 34 C) and lumbar cord (ST 36-GB 34 L) groups.

[Effects of electroacupuncture of different acupoints on changes of blood pressure and autonomic nerve system after colorectal distension in rats].

Objective: To observe the influence of electroacupuncture (EA) of different acupoints on changes of mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) in colorectal distension (CRD) rats, so as to analyze the specificity of actions of acupoints in relieving visceral pain and regulating activities of the autonomic nerve system.

Methods: Forty-five Wistar rats were randomized into control, Zusanli (ST 36), non-acupoint, Neiguan (PC 6) and Taichong (LR 3) groups (n = 9/group). Under anesthesia, CRD was given to the rats by using an aerostat for 5 min.

Effects of repeated electroacupuncture on beta-endorphin and adrencorticotropic hormone levels in the hypothalamus and pituitary in rats with chronic pain and ovariectomy.

Objective: To explore the mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA)-induced cumulative analgesic effects on chronic pain in rats with or without ovariectomy (OVX).

Methods: A total of 110 female Wistar rats were randomized into normal control (n=10), chronic constrictive injury (CCI, n=10), CCI+EA (n=30), OVX+CCI (n=30), and OVX+CCI+EA (n=30) groups. Each of the latter 3 groups was further divided into 2 days (2 d), 2 weeks (2 W) and 3 weeks (3 W) subgroups, respectively (n=10 in each subgroup).