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Electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation induced mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) mobilization. (A): Rat peripheral blood MSC were increased (p 5 .0063) after EA. Circulating MSC were defined as Lin-(CD45-CD31-erythroid-CD11b-) cells that were positive for CD44 and CD90. Gated cells increased post treatment (n 5 11 for baseline and 4 hours, n 5 9 for 2 hours). (B): Representative flow charts for rat Lincells are shown at baseline and 2 hours samples. (C): The percentage of human peripheral blood MSC increased in post EA-treatment (p 5 .006, n 5 6). (D): The percentage of circulating MSCs from adipose tissue (AD-MSC) is significantly elevated 2 hours post EA-treatment (p 5 .033, n 5 4). (E, F): EA-mobilized MSCs were expanded in vitro. After undergoing adipogenesis differentiation, EA-mobilized MSCs developed fat deposits as seen by Oil Red staining, which were not seen in the undifferentiated control cells (G, H). Magnification bars 5 (E, G): 100 mm; (F, H): 50 mm. Abbreviations: ASC, adipose stem cells; EA, electroacupuncture; MNC, mononuclear cell.
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Electro-acupuncture (EA) performed in rats and humans using front-limb acupuncture sites, LI-4 and LI-11, and Du-14 and Du-20 increased functional connectivity between the anterior hypothalamus and the amygdala and mobilized mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) into the systemic circulation. In human subjects, the source of the MSC was found to be primaril...
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... associated with hematopoietic stem cell mobilization [6], peripheral blood was examined in the rat before and following EA for evidence of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) mobilization. A 313% increase in the circulating MSC population, Lin -CD90 1 CD44 HI cells, was detected in the blood of EA-treated rats 2 hours post-EA com- pared with baseline (Fig. 3A, ...
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... mobilized by EA lead us to next examine the populations of cells mobilized by EA in the human sub- jects that underwent fMRI. Due to limitations regarding the fMRI equipment used, only points GV-14, LI-11, and LI-14 were able to be used in this experiment. We observed an increase in MSC in the peripheral blood 2 hours following EA in all subjects (Fig. 3C), while total lymphocyte numbers did not change. To further characterize the MSC population and potentially determine whether they were released from adi- pose stores, the levels of CD34 1 CD45 -CD31 -cells were examined. Two hours following completion of EA, CD34 1 CD45 -CD31 -cells were increased in four of six individuals ( Fig. 3D) ...
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... subjects (Fig. 3C), while total lymphocyte numbers did not change. To further characterize the MSC population and potentially determine whether they were released from adi- pose stores, the levels of CD34 1 CD45 -CD31 -cells were examined. Two hours following completion of EA, CD34 1 CD45 -CD31 -cells were increased in four of six individuals ( Fig. 3D) and the response was proportional to the body mass index of the subjects as previously noted [7]. Two individuals with body mass index less than 18.5 did not demonstrate an increase in this population. Human EA mobilized MSC were expanded in vitro and underwent adipogenic differentiation. Adipogenesis potential was confirmed by the ...
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... as previously noted [7]. Two individuals with body mass index less than 18.5 did not demonstrate an increase in this population. Human EA mobilized MSC were expanded in vitro and underwent adipogenic differentiation. Adipogenesis potential was confirmed by the cells' ability to form lipid droplets as established through oil red O staining ( Fig. ...
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... or sham EA was administered every other day for 2 weeks following injury. Using sham EA applied to nonimmune acupoints or EA plus propranolol, nociceptive behavior elicited by von Frey mechanical stimulation did not change over the time course in the hind paw ipsilateral to the injury (Supporting Information Fig. S3). In contrast, mechanical hyperalgesia (assessed at both day 7 and 14) was considerably decreased (i.e., able to tolerate more pressure) in injured rodents subjected to EA application at LI-4, LI-11, GV-14, and Bai-hui ( Fig. 5A). ...
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... PEDN and NM were chosen as the primary interventions due to the growing research supporting the use of each for neuropathic pain conditions [7,12,15,16,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28]. Three patients underwent PEDN and NM twice a week for four, eight, and eight visits, respectively. ...
... PEDN and NM likely affect neuropathic symptomology through numerous neurophysiologic mechanisms. PEDN has been found to stimulate the increased release of corticosterone, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) at low quantities, mesenchymal stem cells, norepinephrine, and beta-endorphins, alongside facilitating angiogenesis and subsequent neuronal regeneration and repair [8,14,15,[21][22][23]27]. This is consistent with other studies noting marked increases in extra-and intraneural circulation and neovascularization [12,21,22,24]. ...
Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) affects 20–85% of individuals exposed to neurotoxic chemotherapeutic agents. Perineural electrical dry needling (PEDN) and neural mobilization (NM) interventions may be beneficial in the management of chronic neurogenic pain; however, there is a paucity of research on the efficacy of both interventions for CIPN. Methods: Three patients were referred to an outpatient physical therapy clinic with chronic neuropathic pain associated with CIPN. Each underwent PEDN and NM twice weekly until goals were met or progress stalled. The primary outcome measure was the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Secondary outcomes included the Global Rating of Change (GROC) and the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS). All outcome measures were assessed at evaluation and discharge. Results: At discharge, patients A and B exceeded the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) for the primary and secondary outcome measures, indicating decreased neuropathic pain and improved lower extremity function. Patient C improved in all outcome measures but only experienced clinically meaningful changes in the NPRS and LEFS, not the GROC. Conclusions: Following 4–8 sessions of PEDN and NM, three patients with CIPN demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in chronic lower extremity neuropathic pain and function. PEDN and NM may be beneficial in the management of patients presenting with chronic neuropathic pain secondary to CIPN.
... Acupuncture has become an integral component of equine medicine, offering a comprehensive approach to addressing a spectrum of health concerns in horses. Foremost among its applications is the effective management of pain such as back pain (Martin and Klide, 1987;Xie et al., 2005;Rungsri et al., 2009;Varhus and Xie, 2019) and the treatment of other conditions in horses such as Laminitis and navicular disease (Lancaster and Bowker, 2012;Faramarzi et al., 2017), cervical stiffness Pasteur (2021), reproductive disorders and mastitis (Jerng et al., 2014;He et al., 2015), stress response Villas-Boas et al. (2015), emergency resuscitation Juffe et al. (2004), metabolic capacity Angeli and Luna (2008), laryngeal hemiplegia Kim and Xie (2009) and stem cell Salazar et al. (2017). ...
This review provides a concise overview of acupuncture in veterinary medicine, tracing its roots from ancient Chinese practices to its integration into global veterinary care. It also examines the mechanism of acupuncture, focusing on the balance of vital energy (qi) along the meridians. The historical journey and applications of acupuncture in various animal species, pain management, neurological disorders, cancer support and more are discussed. In summary, the review highlights the importance and utility of acupuncture in veterinary medicine worldwide.
... EA stimulation can also activate the properties of stem cells that help them proliferate. Further studies have demonstrated that it can encourage stem cell migration to the damaged area after tissue injury [12,13]. Based on these studies, we propose the hypothesis that EA combined with BMSC transplantation can further promote the repair of endometrial injury in IUA patients. ...
Transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) has demonstrated promising clinical utility in the treatment of endometrial injury and the restoration of fertility. However, since the efficacy of BMSCs after transplantation is not stable, it is very important to find effective ways to enhance the utilisation of BMSCs. Electroacupuncture (EA) has some positive effects on the chemotaxis of stem cells and diseases related to uterine injury. In this study, we established the intrauterine adhesion (IUA) model of the Sprague–Dawley rat using lipopolysaccharide infection and mechanical scratching. Phosphate-buffered saline, BMSCs alone, and BMSCs combined with EA were randomly administered to the rats. Fluorescent cell labelling showed the migration of transplanted BMSCs. H&E staining, Masson staining, Western blot, immunohistochemistry, ELISA, and qRT-PCR were utilised to detect changes in endometrial morphology and expressions of endometrial receptivity-related factors, endometrial pro-inflammatory factors, and fibrosis factors. Finally, we conducted a fertility test to measure the recovery of uterine function. The results showed that EA promoted transplanted BMSCs to migrate into the injured uterus by activating the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis. Endometrial morphology showed the most significant improvement in the BMSC + EA group. The expressions of endometrial pro-inflammatory factors and fibrosis indexes in the BMSC + EA group were lower than those in the model and BMSC groups. Further studies revealed that the expression of endometrial receptivity-related factors and the number of embryos implanted on day 8 of gestation increased in the BMSC + EA group compared with the model group and the BMSC group.
... Electroacupuncture (EA) is a kind of acupuncture therapy that uses a small electric current to enhance the effect of acupuncture. Increasing numbers of clinical trials have proven EA's therapeutic efficacy in analgesia [18,19], hypertension [20,21], depression [22,23], and neuro regeneration [24,25]. For instance, Salazar, T.E. ...
... For instance, Salazar, T.E. et al. [19] found that stimulating the nervous system using EA leads to releasing reparative mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into the peripheral blood, thereby promoting tissue repair and alleviating injury-induced pain. Li et al. [20] stimulated the Zusanli (ST36) and Shangjuxu (ST37) APs by EA and observed that the content of enkephalin precursors in the ventrolateral region of the rostral medulla in rats was significantly increased, which shown that EA can lower blood pressure. ...
Integrating traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) techniques with modern technologies has paved the way for innovative advancements in various fields. In this research, we explore the fascinating fusion of acupuncture, a well-established TCM practice, with the triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG), an emerging energy harvesting technology. We present a groundbreaking approach where the coiled head of acupuncture needles is transformed into a multifunctional sensor capable of harnessing mechanical energy through the triboelectric effect. Our approach entails designing and fabricating a TENG sensor on the coiled head of an acupuncture needle. A triboelectric layer of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) infused with 2% multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), an insulating layer, and a copper conductive layer comprise the sensor. This integration allows mechanical energy generated during the acupuncture process to be converted into electrical energy for direct application in electroacupuncture. The sensor is highly compressible, durable, and sensitive to mechanical stimuli. Through meticulous experimentation, we demonstrate the mechanical stimulation triggers the TENG sensor to generate electrical power, thus allowing for self-powered electroacupuncture systems. We have also demonstrated the real time mimicking to acupuncture data to show the sensors’ adaptability. This dual functionality may enhance the therapeutic effects of electroacupuncture while also providing self-sustaining energy for the treatment process. This research bridges the ancient wisdom of TCM with the latest innovations in energy harvesting, opening new avenues for interdisciplinary collaborations between traditional practices and modern technologies.
... Shortly after the EA needle is removed, the neural activity of the brain network formed by 15 functional brain regions, such as the frontal lobe, para-hippocampal gyrus, and hypothalamus, can still be observed [24]. A functional magnetic resonance imaging-based study by Salazar et al. on humans and rats showed that EA could activate hypothalamic neurons and enhance sympathetic activity [42]. From an anatomical perspective, GV20 is located at the top of the brain and in the cap-shaped fascia. ...
... Аналогичное действие оказывает и имитация гипоксии введением хлорида кобальта (в сочетании с ингибированием CXCR4) [74]. Сообщалось также о возможности мобилизации МСК в кровоток с помощью электроакупунктурного воздействия, предположительно за счет активации гипоталамуса и симпатической нервной системы [83] и привлечения их в поврежденную область путем обработки последней ультразвуком, усиливающим локальную продукцию хемоаттрактантов [84]. Стимуляцией миграции МСК через кровоток в поврежденные ткани могут быть обусловлены и прорегенеративные свойства ряда биологически активных веществ растительного происхождения, таких как каннабиноиды, протокатехиновая кислота, проантоцианидины, флавоноиды [85]. ...
... О перспективности воздействия на миграцию эндогенных МСК для стимуляции регенеративных процессов свидетельствуют результаты многочисленных экспериментальных исследований. В частности, генерализованная мобилизация МСК показала свою эффективность на: моделях болезни Альцгеймера [68], химических ожогов [71], повреждения сосудов [70], токсического поражения почек [72], переломов костей [73], разрывов сухожилий [83]; при локальном воздействии на область поражения -при инфаркте миокарда [75], костно-хрящевых дефектах [77,79,80] и повреждениях периодонта [78]; при сочетании обоих подходов -при травмах легкого [76]. Во всех упомянутых случаях улучшение состояния экспериментальных животных было достигнуто только за счет активации эндогенных МСК. ...
The ability of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to migrate into tissue defects and stimulate regeneration makes them a valuable resource for cell therapy. However, in many cases, in vitro cultivation and the influence of the pathological microenvironment in the patient’s body reduce the viability and therapeutic efficacy of MSCs, so their regenerative potential needs to be strengthened. Preconditioning with hormones, cytokines, various chemical or physical factors, cultivation in a three-dimensional environment or at a reduced oxygen content improves the ability of MSCs to colonize damaged tissue, survive in it, and produce regulatory molecules for regeneration. The same goals can be achieved by genetic modification of MSCs. In addition, with the help of transfected MSCs, it is possible to deliver genes necessary for the treatment of hereditary or oncological diseases into the tissue. Finally, an alternative to avoid a decrease in the therapeutic potential of subsequently transplanted MSCs during cultivation can be stimulation of the migration of endogenous patient cells from tissue niches through the systemic circulation to the area of damage. The development of these approaches opens the way to increasing the efficiency of using MSCs in regenerative medicine.
... Notably, studies on cerebral ischemic disease have revealed that grafted BMSCs and EA treatment significantly enhanced the functional recovery of motor and cognitive deficits compared to BMSCs or EA treatment alone. Furthermore, treatment with EA could promote the differentiation of BMSCs into neuron-like cells and migration to injured areas following tissue damage, and enhance growth factor and cytokine expression, as well as cell survival (Emelyanov et al., 2016;Salazar et al., 2017;Ahn et al., 2019). Therefore, EA plus electromagnetic therapy could effectively repair neural and nerve injuries. ...
Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of a combination of Bone Mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) transplantation and Electroacupuncture (EA) for acute sciatic nerve injury in rats using magnetic resonance.
Methods: Ninety-two male adult healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the EA+BMSCs group, EA group, MSCs group, and PBS group (control). Electroacupuncture was performed on a rat receiving EA treatment at Huantiao (GB30) and Zusanli (ST36). T2 values and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) derived from multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), histological assessments, and immunohistochemistry was used to monitor nerve regeneration. Walking track analysis was used to assess nerve functional recovery. Repeated-measures one-way analysis of variance was used to evaluate the significance of T2, DTI, and SFI values among the four groups. One-way analysis of variance was used for comparing the histological characteristics. Bonferroni test was used for multiple pairwise comparisons at each time point.
Results: In terms of FA, the EA+BMSCs and EA groups had faster recovery than PBS (control) in all time points after surgery, and the EA+BMSCs group recovered better than the BMSCs group at 3 weeks ( P ≤ 0.008). FA values were higher in the EA group than in the BMSCs group at 4 weeks ( P ≤ 0.008). In terms of RD, the EA+BMSCs group recovered better than the BMSCs group at 2 and 4 weeks ( P ≤ 0.008). Immunofluorescence staining for axon guidance molecule netrin-1 revealed that it was significantly higher in the EA+BMSCs subgroup and EA subgroup than it was in the control (PBS) subgroup at 1–3 weeks ( P < 0.001). Immunofluorescence staining for S100 showed the continuity of nerve fibers recovered more quickly in the EA+BMSCs subgroup than in the BMSCs subgroup.
Conclusion: Our research revealed that a combination of MSCs and EA can provide both topological and biomolecular guidance to promote axonal extension, myelin regeneration, and functional recovery after PNI. EA not only promotes nerve repair on its own, but also enhanced the beneficial effects of stem cell treatment and the secretion of netrin 1, a guidance regeneration factor, and promotes the orderly growth of nerve fibers. These PNI repairs could be monitored non-invasively and in situ by MRI. The FA and RD values derived from MRI could be sensitive biomarkers to reflect the PNI repair process.
... Notably, many experimental studies have demonstrated that EA treatment ameliorates cardiac function following MI as it can mediate autophagy [25], oxidative stress [26], and inflammatory reaction [27] and improve cardiomyocyte apoptosis post-MI [28]. In addition, Salazar et al. reported that MSCs were promoted to leave their niche and enter the blood circulation following EA intervention at specific points [29]. EA can also facilitate the transplanted neural stem cells migration to the injured site [30]. ...
Stem cell-based therapeutic strategies have obtained a significant breakthrough in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, particularly in myocardial infarction (MI). Nevertheless, limited retention and poor migration of stem cells are still problems for stem cell therapeutic development. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop new strategies that can mobilize stem cells to infarcted myocardial tissues effectively. Electroacupuncture (EA) intervention can improve cardiac function and alleviate myocardial injury after MI, but its molecular mechanism is still unclear. This study is aimed at observing the effects of EA treatment on the stem cell mobilization and revealing possible mechanisms in the MI model of mice. EA treatment at Neiguan (PC6) and Xinshu (BL15) acupoints was conducted on the second day after the ligation surgery. Then, the number of stem cells in peripheral blood after EA in MI mice and their cardiac function, infarct size, and collagen deposition was observed. We found that the number of CD34-, CD117-, Sca-1-, and CD90-positive cells increased at 6 h and declined at 24 h after EA intervention in the blood of MI mice. The expression of CXC chemokine receptor-4 (CXCR4) protein was upregulated at 6 h after EA treatment, while the ratio of LC3B II/I or p-ERK/ERK showed a reverse trend. In addition, there was obvious difference in EF and FS between wild-type mice and CXCR4+/− mice. The infarct size, collagen deposition, and apoptosis of the injured myocardium in CXCR4+/− mice increased but could be ameliorated by EA. In a word, our study demonstrates that EA alleviates myocardial injury via stem cell mobilization which may be regulated by the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis.
... Studies have also shown that EA can stimulate the proliferation and activation of stem cells, thereby further promoting the migration of stem cells to the damaged area after tissue injury [181]. In addition, EA has been also reported to promote the migration of transplanted BMSCs and enhance their paracrine effects, and the combination of these two functions offers a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of endometrial injury [182,183]. ...
Endometrial damage is an important factor leading to infertility and traditional conventional treatments have limited efficacy. As an emerging technology in recent years, stem cell therapy has provided new hope for the treatment of this disease. By comparing the advantages of stem cells from different sources, it is believed that menstrual blood endometrial stem cells have a good application prospect as a new source of stem cells. However, the clinical utility of stem cells is still limited by issues such as colonization rates, long-term efficacy, tumor formation, and storage and transportation. This paper summarizes the mechanism by which stem cells repair endometrial damage and clarifies the material basis of their effects from four aspects: replacement of damaged sites, paracrine effects, interaction with growth factors, and other new targets. According to the pathological characteristics and treatment requirements of intrauterine adhesion (IUA), the research work to solve the above problems from the aspects of functional bioscaffold preparation and multi-functional platform construction is also summarized. From the perspective of scaffold materials and component functions, this review will provide a reference for comprehensively optimizing the clinical application of stem cells.
... Therefore, we selected the groups from the in vitro results of the OB/OC co-culture system ( Figure 1E), 2 Hz/1 mA, 20 Hz/ 4 mA, 200 Hz/1 mA, and 200 Hz/8 mA, which were the osteogenesis-enhancing conditions for stimulating bone regeneration in rats with bone defects. In the acupuncture method, acupoints Baihui (GV20) and Fengfu (GV16) have been demonstrated to induce the differentiation of cells and the healing of neural injuries (Nam et al., 2015;Salazar et al., 2017). However, there are few articles to discuss the relationship between these two acupoints and bone regeneration. ...
... Therefore, the effect of electroacupuncture on the release of PTH-i leading to the activation of OB/OC and bone regeneration is a possible mechanism ( Figure 5). During the first 4 weeks, electroacupuncture treatment might induce a neuronal activation (Nam et al., 2015;Salazar et al., 2017) and then promote the secretion of PTH-i from the parathyroid gland ( Figure 4A). Compared with the control group, the treatment by electroacupuncture slightly increased the PTH-i concentration in blood. ...
The regeneration defect of bone is a long-term physiological process after bone injuries. To accelerate the bone remodeling process, the combination of chemical and physical stimulations provides an efficient strategy to allow maturation and to functionalize osteoclasts and osteoblasts. This study aims to investigate the dual effects of a tricalcium phosphate (TCP)-based gelatin scaffold (GGT) in combination with electroacupuncture stimulation on the activation of osteoclasts and osteoblasts, as well as new bone regrowth in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrated that electrical stimulation changes the pH of a culture medium and activates osteoblasts and osteoclasts in an in vitro co-culture system. Furthermore, we showed that electroacupuncture stimulation can enhance osteogenesis and new bone regrowth in vivo and can upregulate the mechanism among parathyroid hormone intact (PTH-i), calcium, osteoclasts, and osteoblasts in the bone-defected rats. Those results showed the potential interest to combine the electroacupuncture technique with GGT scaffolds to improve bone remodeling after injury.
