Akupunktur lindert Angst und Depression bei Ratten mit Durchfall-dominantem Reizdarmsyndrom über die Darm-Hirn-Achse   Abstract Anxiety and depression frequently occur in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a disordered long-term digestive disease affecting the stomach and intestine. The symptoms include stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhea/constipation, or both. There are four subcategories: irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D), irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C), irritable bowel syndrome with mixed bowel habits (IBS-M), and irritable bowel syndrome undefined subtype (IBS-U). The coexistence of depression with IBS significantly impairs the patient’s quality of life. Although the underlying mechanisms of IBS are still not fully...Weiterlesen

Neue Erkenntnisse zur Akupunktur beim ischämischen Schlaganfall: Orchestrierung des Neuro-Endokrin-Immun-Netzwerks Abstract Ischemic stroke (IS) is a major public health challenge with high rates of mortality and disability. Its pathophysiology is complex and multifactorial. Although the pathogenesis of IS originates from local cerebral ischemia, it progresses to a systemic disorder involving dysfunction of the neuro-endocrine-immune (NEI) network. Acupuncture, a non-pharmaceutical therapy characterized by holistic regulation, holds considerable potential for correcting multi-system imbalances after IS. Nevertheless, how acupuncture coordinates this multi-system network remains poorly understood. This review synthesizes current evidence on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying acupuncture’s regulation of neural signaling,...Weiterlesen

Untersuchung der zentralen Nervenbahnen, die das Gehirn und periphere Akupunkturpunkte verbinden, unter Verwendung von Nervenmarkern Abstract Background Acupuncture is widely used for therapeutic purposes, but the neural mechanisms underlying its effects are not fully understood. This study aims to investigate the neural projections from acupoints and subcutaneous (sham acupoints) sites to the central nervous system, using retrograde tracing technology, to clarify the specificity of acupuncture’s neural pathways. Methods Adult C57BL/6J mice were injected with the retrograde tracer PRV-CAG-3 × mScarlet at seven acupoints (LI4, GV20, LI11, BL23, LR3, ST25, ST36) and their corresponding subcutaneous sites (sham acupoints). After 120 h, the brains were...Weiterlesen

Immunmodulatorische Wirkungen der Akupunktur auf Makrophagen bei allergischen Erkrankungen: Eine systematische Übersicht Abstract The incidence of allergic diseases has been increasing annually, severely affecting the quality of life of patients. With the growing recognition of traditional medicine, acupuncture, an ancient Chinese therapeutic method, has gradually gained attention for its potential in immune modulation. Studies have shown that macrophages play a crucial role in the development of allergic diseases, and acupuncture may influence allergic reactions by modulating the function of macrophages. This article aims to systematically evaluate the regulatory effects of acupuncture on macrophages in allergic diseases and the corresponding mechanisms....Weiterlesen

Der Stand der Evidenz in der Akupunktur: Eine Übersicht über Meta-Analysen und systematische Übersichtsarbeiten zur Evidenz der Akupunktur – Aktualisierung 2017 bis 2022 Abstract Introduction Over the last decades, acupuncture research has increased drastically. As a result, it has become more and more difficult to oversee the amount of evidence concerning its effect in various medical conditions. Different comparative reviews aimed to roughly assess individual strength of acupuncture evidence, covering the years 2005 – 2017. Our review intends to assess the level of acupuncture evidence for any medical condition available, concerning the years 2017 – 2022. Methods We searched the...Weiterlesen

Abstract Objective The objective of the study was to investigate and compare the effects of manual acupuncture (MA) and electroacupuncture (EA) on current perception thresholds (CPTs) using quantitative methods. Methods Twenty-nine healthy volunteers participated in this prospective crossover trial, in which three acupuncture methods were compared: control, MA, and EA. Acupuncture needles were inserted to a depth of 15 mm at LI4 and LI11 on the left side and retained for 30 min with or without electrical stimulation at a frequency of 2 Hz (EA and MA, respectively). The needles were removed and participants rested for 30 min. CPT in the left mental region...Weiterlesen

Abstract This review summarizes experimental evidence indicating that purinergic mechanisms are causally involved in acupuncture (AP)-induced analgesia. Electroacupuncture (EAP) and manual AP release at pain-relevant acupoints ATP which may activate purinergic P2X receptors (Rs) especially of the P2X3 type situated at local sensory nerve endings (peripheral terminals of dorsal root ganglion [DRG] neurons); the central processes of these neurons are thought to inhibit via collaterals of ascending dorsal horn spinal cord neurons, pain-relevant pathways projecting to higher centers of the brain. In addition, during AP/EAP non-neuronal P2X4 and/or P2X7Rs localized at microglial cells of the CNS become activated at the...Weiterlesen

Abstract Subcutaneous mast cells (MCs) are vulnerable to mechanical stimulation from external environment. Thus, MCs immune function could be modulated by their mechanosensitivity. This property has been identified as the trigger mechanism of needling acupuncture, a traditional oriental therapy. Previously we have demonstrated the release of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a stress-responsive signalling molecule, from mechanical-perturbed MCs. The current work explores its underlying mechanisms. We noticed that propagation of intracellular free Ca2+ occurred among HMC-1 cells in response to 50% hypotonic shock. Additionally, amplifying cascade of ATP-induced ATP release was observed in RBL-2H3 cells stimulated by medium displacement, which could be mimicked...Weiterlesen

Abstract Acupuncture has many advantages in the treatment of certain diseases as opposed to drug therapy. Besides, adenosine has been revealed to affect cellular progression including proliferation. Therefore, this study aimed at exploring the mechanism involving acupuncture stress and adenosine in fibroblast proliferation. The fibroblasts from fascia tissues of the acupoint area (Zusanli) were stimulated by different levels of stress, different concentrations of adenosine, and agonist or antagonist of A3 receptor (A3R) to investigate the effect of stress stimulation, adenosine, and adenosine-A3 R inhibition on fibroblasts. Then, the fibroblasts were treated with stress stimulation of 200 kPa or/and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)...Weiterlesen

Abstract BACKGROUND Many randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture reveal no significant differences between acupuncture and so-called placebo acupuncture. There is a strong tendency to replace the term „placebo“ by the term „sham,“ because any needling stimulates a certain physiological response. However, neither concept accounts for the great diversity of results in RCTs comparing verum acupuncture and sham (placebo) acupuncture. Some trials have shown little or no difference, while other studies have found statistically significant differences. OBJECTIVE Verum acupuncture and sham (placebo) acupuncture may achieve similar results to the extent that they share active constituents. We identified these common active...Weiterlesen