Effect of electroacupuncture on cyclic adenosine monophosphate-protein kinase A-vanillic acid receptor subtype 1 of the transient receptor potential/PLK-protein kinase C-vanillic acid receptor subtype 1 of the transient receptor potential pathway based on RNA-seq analysis in prostate tissue in rats with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome

Abstract

ObjectiveTo investigate the analgesic mechanism of electroacupuncture (EA) in rats with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS).MethodsThirty male SD rats were randomly divided into sham group, model group and EA group, with ten rats in each group. The CP/CPPS model was prepared by injecting 50 μL of complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) into the ventral lobes of the prostate tissue, and the sham group was injected with the same dose of saline. After 14 days of modeling, EA was applied to Guanyuan (CV4), Zhongji (CV3), Sanyinjiao (SP6) and Huiyang (BL35) in the EA group. After four courses, H&E staining was performed to observe the prostate tissue morphology, transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq) was performed for each group, and the selected signaling pathways were verified by qRT-PCR.ResultsThe RNA-Seq analysis results suggested that the analgesic effect of EA on CP/CPPS may be achieved by regulating prostate gene expression, which may be related to multiple biological processes and signaling pathways. qRT-PCR results showed that the vanillic acid receptor subtype 1 of the transient receptor potential (TRPV1), phospholipase C (PLC), protein kinase C (PKC), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), and protein kinase A (PKA) were all upregulated in the model group compared to the sham group (p < 0.01). Compared with the model group, TRPV1, PLC, PKC, cAMP, and PKA were all downregulated in the EA group (p < 0.05, p < 0.01).ConclusionThe analgesic mechanism of EA on CP/CPPS may be achieved through modulation of cAMP-PKA-TRPV1/PLC-PKC-TRPV1 signaling pathway.

Research Trends of Acupuncture Therapy on Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome from 2000 to 2022: A Bibliometric Analysis

“…The results of multiple meta-analysis have confirmed that acupuncture therapy CPPS is effective. 53 In recent years, the treatment of chronic pelvic syndrome for electric acupuncture treatment has become a hotspot of research. 54 At the same time, the physiological mechanism of its related animal research has also become a hot spot for research.…”

“…The expression of related genes on PI3K-AKT/JAK-STAT signal pathway to play an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. 53 Wu XL is based on the rat experiment and believes that the analgesic mechanism of EA on CP/CPPS may be achieved through modulation of cAMP-PKA-TRPV1/PLC-PKC-TRPV1 signaling pathway. However, the specific action mechanism of acupuncture still needs to be further studied.…”

Molecular mechanism and promising treatments of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: An exploratory bibliometric analysis and literature review of preclinical studies

“…As an important part of TCM, acupuncture has been extensively studied in CP/CPPS. Some studies had observed the potential efficacy of acupuncture for CP/CPPS in animal models [78,79] . And some studies have validated the efficacy of acupuncture for CP/CPPS in clinical trials [77,80] .…”

The Therapeutic Potential of Acupuncture in Chronic Prostatitis/Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome

“…TRPV1 is a key molecule in peripheral nociception. 68 Wu et al 69 relieve that the analgesic mechanism of EA on CP/CPPS may be achieved by regulating the cAMP-PKA-TRPV1/PLC-PKC-TRPV1 signaling pathway.…”