Traditional Chinese acupuncture has a history of over 2500 years. It is effective in the treatment of many conditions with few side effects. The best known mechanism is via endogenous opiates and their receptors. In addition to opioids, researchers have focused on the role of central monoamimergic systems. Acupuncture therapy is used not only to relieve pain but also to treat various medical conditions in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Some experiments have revealed a relationship between acupuncture and the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Besides, electroacupuncture (EA) can modulate the imbalance between innate and acquired immune systems. This review is focusing on the mechanistic studies of acupuncture that my colleagues and I have performed in Taiwan in recent years. We found that EA analgesia was closely related to not only the serotonergic neurons but also the adrenergic neurons in the central nervous system. The electrophysiological recordings suggested the involvement of the cerebral cortex in acupuncture. Local somatothermal stimulation inhibited the motility of sphincter of Oddi and internal anal sphincter through nitrergic neural release of nitric oxide. Mild local heat stress upregulated hepatic gene expression of heat shock protein 70 and protected the liver from subsequent ischemia-reperfusion injury. These studies supplement the knowledge of the mechanism of acupuncture.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11655-011-0664-8 | DOI Listing |
PLoS Biol
January 2025
Department of Neurology, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany.
Pain is closely linked to alpha oscillations (8 < 13 Hz) which are thought to represent a supra-modal, top-down mediated gating mechanism that shapes sensory processing. Consequently, alpha oscillations might also shape the cerebral processing of nociceptive input and eventually the perception of pain. To test this mechanistic hypothesis, we designed a sham-controlled and double-blind electroencephalography (EEG)-based neurofeedback study.
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Deparment of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands.
Systems biology tackles the challenge of understanding the high complexity in the internal regulation of homeostasis in the human body through mathematical modelling. These models can aid in the discovery of disease mechanisms and potential drug targets. However, on one hand the development and validation of knowledge-based mechanistic models is time-consuming and does not scale well with increasing features in medical data.
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In recent years, the health challenges linked to frailty in the elderly, particularly those worsened by cigarette smoke, have become more pronounced. However, quantitative studies examining the impact of smoking dosage on frailty in this population remain limited. To address this gap, we developed a model using smoke-exposed elderly mice.
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Center for Cardiovascular Research, Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA; email:
Although human genetics has substantial potential to illuminate novel disease pathways and facilitate drug development, identifying causal variants and deciphering their mechanisms remain challenging. We believe these challenges can be addressed, in part, by creatively repurposing the results of molecular trait genome-wide association studies (GWASs). In this review, we introduce techniques related to molecular GWASs and unconventionally apply them to understanding , a human coronary artery disease risk locus.
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Department of Chemistry and Materials Science, College of Science, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.
The Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi reaction offers effective and reliable strategies for the preparation of alcohols via carbon-carbon bond formation. Typical methods usually require stoichiometric amounts of chromium salts, co-transition metals, and auxiliary reagents, which limits their practical application in industrial chemistry. To mitigate these limitations, substantial efforts have been made to develop chromium-catalytic approaches.
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