Effect of Electroacupuncture Treatment at Dazhui (GV14) and Mingmen (GV4) Modulates the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway in Rats after Spinal Cord Injury

Li, Ke; Liu, Juntong; Song, Liangyu; Lv, Wei; Xiang, Tian; Li, Zhigang; Shi, Suhua

doi:10.1155/2020/5474608

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 31 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Gao et al reported that HSP 90 participates in electroacupuncture-induced analgesia in chronic neuropathic pain ( Gao et al, 2021 ). Other signaling pathways, such as PI3K/Akt/Erk, Nogo/NgR, Rho/ROCK, and mTOR, may also include the acupuncture-related beneficial effects against SCI ( Renfu et al, 2014 ; Wei et al, 2018 ; Xiao et al, 2019 ; Li et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Mechanism Of Acupuncture Therapy In Spinal Cord Injurymentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanism Underlying Acupuncture Therapy in Spinal Cord Injury: A Narrative Overview of Preclinical Studies

Jiang¹,

Sun²,

Chen³

2022

Front. Pharmacol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results from various pathogenic factors that destroy the normal structure and function of the spinal cord, subsequently causing sensory, motor, and autonomic nerve dysfunction. SCI is one of the most common causes of disability and death globally. It leads to severe physical and mental injury to patients and causes a substantial economic burden on families and the society. The pathological changes and underlying mechanisms within SCI involve oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation, etc. As a traditional therapy, acupuncture has a positive effect promoting the recovery of SCI. Acupuncture-induced neuroprotection includes several mechanisms such as reducing oxidative stress, inhibiting the inflammatory response and neuronal apoptosis, alleviating glial scar formation, promoting neural stem cell differentiation, and improving microcirculation within the injured area. Therefore, the recent studies exploring the mechanism of acupuncture therapy in SCI will help provide a theoretical basis for applying acupuncture and seeking a better treatment target and acupuncture approach for SCI patients.

show abstract

Section: Mechanism Of Acupuncture Therapy In Spinal Cord Injurymentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanism Underlying Acupuncture Therapy in Spinal Cord Injury: A Narrative Overview of Preclinical Studies

Jiang¹,

Sun²,

Chen³

2022

Front. Pharmacol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Some of these signaling pathways have been proven to play important roles in both spinal cord and bone, suggesting their importance in the interaction between bone and spinal cord. For example, activation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway can improve spinal cord tissue injury and promote bone formation [32,33]. The AMPK signaling pathway is involved in glucose metabolism in the spinal cord and neurons, and its activation can promote functional recovery after spinal cord injury [34].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcriptomic analysis of ipsilateral spinal cord in rats after bone fracture

Wang

Deng

Yuan

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Backgroud: A large amount of research has shown that spinal cord injury causes bone loss and increases fracture risk, while spinal cord injuries caused by fractures and their underlying molecular mechanisms still need further investigation.Methods To investigate the specific changes in the spinal cord after bone fractures, we obtained L4-L5 spinal cord segments from the same side of SD rats with tibial fractures at 0, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after the fracture. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, KEGG pathway analysis, and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis(IPA) were used to analyze the differential gene expression of the genes at different time points .Results Our sequencing results showed that the transcriptional changes in the spinal cord after fracture developed towards the direction of restoring normal physiological function. At 3 and 7 days after fracture, the same-side L4-L5 spinal cord segment showed significant activation of neurodegeneration and central nervous system development, with neurodegeneration activation being most significant at 3 days after fracture and the spinal cord also showing activation of cell survival regulation effects after 7 days of bone fracture. At 14 days after bone fracture, the spinal cord showed significant enrichment in the myelin sheath formation signaling pathway, activation of cell death in the central nervous system, GO terms relating to synaptic function were also significantly enriched. The spinal cord had active gene transcription, protein synthesis, and degradation metabolism processes at these three time points after fracture. At 28 days after fracture, the spinal cord showed recovery of motor function. In addition, a series of important genes in the spinal cord after fracture were differentially expressed, including PCP4 and Krit1. Rictor, TEAD1, torin1, DDX5, CAB39L, and Ngf in the spinal cord may act as upstream master regulators to play a role in fracture repair.Conclusions We speculate that local injury stimulation of the fracture through DRG enters the intermediate neurons of the spinal cord dorsal horn, triggering a series of adaptive changes including activation of neurodegeneration and central nervous system development in the spinal cord, among other changes. With the involvement of important molecules such as PCP4 and Krit1, the physiological function of the spinal cord gradually recovers after fracture, reducing the risk of disuse osteoporosis and promoting fracture repair. This study provides an understanding of the transcriptome changes in the spinal cord following fracture at different time points, and the changes observed across these time points, and screens for important genes that might participate in the regulation of spinal cord fracture healing, providing a sequencing basis for exploring the bidirectional relationship between fracture and the spinal cord.

show abstract

“…Electroacupuncture has been used as an alternative treatment for various diseases in recent years ( 42 – 44 ). A number of studies have shown that EA can improve motor function in the lower limbs of patients with SCI, resulting in improved quality of life ( 32 – 34 ). However, the mechanism by which EA confers therapeutic benefit is unclear.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electroacupuncture Inhibits NLRP3 Activation by Regulating CMPK2 After Spinal Cord Injury

Chen

Shi

et al. 2022

Front. Immunol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate the expression of cytosine monophosphate kinase 2 (CMPK2) and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in rats with spinal cord injury (SCI) and to characterize the effects of electroacupuncture on CMPK2-associated regulation of the NLRP3 inflammasome.MethodsAn SCI model was established in Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats. The expression levels of NLRP3 and CMPK2 were measured at different time points following induction of SCI. The rats were randomly divided into a sham group (Sham), a model group (Model), an electroacupuncture group (EA), an adeno-associated virus (AAV) CMPK2 group, and an AAV NC group. Electroacupuncture was performed at jiaji points on both sides of T9 and T11 for 20 min each day for 3 consecutive days. In the AAV CMPK2 and AAV NC groups, the viruses were injected into the T9 spinal cord via a microneedle using a microscope and a stereotactic syringe. The Basso–Beattie–Bresnahan (BBB) score was used to evaluate the motor function of rats in each group. Histopathological changes in spinal cord tissue were detected using H&E staining, and the expression levels of NLRP3, CMPK2, ASC, caspase-1, IL-18, and IL-1β were quantified using Western blotting (WB), immunofluorescence (IF), and RT-PCR.ResultsThe expression levels of NLRP3 and CMPK2 in the spinal cords of the model group were significantly increased at day 1 compared with those in the sham group (p < 0.05). The expression levels of NLRP3 and CMPK2 decreased gradually over time and remained low at 14 days post-SCI. We successfully constructed AAV CMPK2 and showed that CMPK2 was significantly knocked down following 2 dilutions. Finally, treatment with EA or AAV CMPK2 resulted in significantly increased BBB scores compared to those in the model group and the AAV NC group (p < 0.05). The histomorphology of the spinal cord in the EA and AAV CMPK2 groups was significantly different than that in the model and AAV NC groups. WB, IF, and PCR analyses showed that the expression levels of CMPK2, NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, IL-18, and IL-1β were significantly lower in the EA and AAV CMPK2 groups compared with those in the model and AAV NC groups (p < 0.05).ConclusionOur study showed that CMPK2 regulated NLRP3 expression in rats with SCI. Activation of NLRP3 is a critical mechanism of inflammasome activation and the inflammatory response following SCI. Electroacupuncture downregulated the expression of CMPK2 and inhibited activation of NLRP3, which could improve motor function in rats with SCI.

show abstract

Effect of Electroacupuncture Treatment at Dazhui (GV14) and Mingmen (GV4) Modulates the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway in Rats after Spinal Cord Injury

Cited by 10 publications

References 31 publications

Mechanism Underlying Acupuncture Therapy in Spinal Cord Injury: A Narrative Overview of Preclinical Studies

Mechanism Underlying Acupuncture Therapy in Spinal Cord Injury: A Narrative Overview of Preclinical Studies

Transcriptomic analysis of ipsilateral spinal cord in rats after bone fracture

Electroacupuncture Inhibits NLRP3 Activation by Regulating CMPK2 After Spinal Cord Injury

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About