Effects and mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia mediated by afferent nerves in acupoint microenvironments
In the past few decades, the use of acupuncture analgesia in clinical practice has increased worldwide. This is due to its various benefits, including natural alleviation of pain without causing various adverse effects associated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and opioids. The ac...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1239839/full |
| _version_ | 1827356828475850752 |
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| author | Zezhi Fan Baomin Dou Jiangshan Wang Yongjian Wu Simin Du Jiashan Li Kaifang Yao Yanwei Li Shenjun Wang Shenjun Wang Shenjun Wang Shenjun Wang Yinan Gong Yinan Gong Yinan Gong Yinan Gong Yi Guo Yi Guo Yi Guo Zhifang Xu Zhifang Xu Zhifang Xu Zhifang Xu |
| author_facet | Zezhi Fan Baomin Dou Jiangshan Wang Yongjian Wu Simin Du Jiashan Li Kaifang Yao Yanwei Li Shenjun Wang Shenjun Wang Shenjun Wang Shenjun Wang Yinan Gong Yinan Gong Yinan Gong Yinan Gong Yi Guo Yi Guo Yi Guo Zhifang Xu Zhifang Xu Zhifang Xu Zhifang Xu |
| author_sort | Zezhi Fan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In the past few decades, the use of acupuncture analgesia in clinical practice has increased worldwide. This is due to its various benefits, including natural alleviation of pain without causing various adverse effects associated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and opioids. The acupoint represents the initial site of acupuncture stimulation, where diverse types of nerve fibers located at the acupoint hold significant roles in the generation and transmission of acupuncture-related information. In this study, we analyzed the patterns and mechanisms of acupuncture analgesic mediated by acupoint afferent fibers, and found that acupuncture stimulates acupoints which rapidly and directly induces activation of high-density primary afferent fibers under the acupoints, including myelinated A fibers and unmyelinated C fibers. During acupuncture stimulation at the muscle layer, the analgesic effects can be induced by stimulation of A fiber threshold intensity. At the skin layer, the analgesic effects can only be produced by stimulation of C fiber threshold intensity. Electroacupuncture (EA) activates A fibers, while manual acupuncture (MA) activates both A and C fibers. Furthermore, acupuncture alters acupoint microenvironments, which positively modulates afferent fibers, enhancing the transmission of analgesic signals. In addition to local activation and conduction at acupoints, nerve fibers mediate the transmission of acupuncture information to pain centers. In the spinal cord, acupuncture activates neurons by inducing afferent fiber depolarization, modulating pain gating, inhibiting long-term potentiation (LTP) of the spinal dorsal horn and wide dynamic range (WDR) neuronal activities. At higher nerve centers, acupuncture inhibits neuronal activation in pain-related brain regions. In summary, acupuncture inhibits pain signal transmission at peripheral and central systems by activating different patterns of afferent fibers located on various layers of acupoints. This study provides ideas for enhancing the precise application and clinical translation of acupuncture. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T05:15:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f3f1b00baa564f1bbc9a11f388bc45e8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-453X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T05:15:38Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-f3f1b00baa564f1bbc9a11f388bc45e82024-02-07T04:27:04ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neuroscience1662-453X2024-02-011710.3389/fnins.2023.12398391239839Effects and mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia mediated by afferent nerves in acupoint microenvironmentsZezhi Fan0Baomin Dou1Jiangshan Wang2Yongjian Wu3Simin Du4Jiashan Li5Kaifang Yao6Yanwei Li7Shenjun Wang8Shenjun Wang9Shenjun Wang10Shenjun Wang11Yinan Gong12Yinan Gong13Yinan Gong14Yinan Gong15Yi Guo16Yi Guo17Yi Guo18Zhifang Xu19Zhifang Xu20Zhifang Xu21Zhifang Xu22Research Center of Experimental Acupuncture Science, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaResearch Center of Experimental Acupuncture Science, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaResearch Center of Experimental Acupuncture Science, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaResearch Center of Experimental Acupuncture Science, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaResearch Center of Experimental Acupuncture Science, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaResearch Center of Experimental Acupuncture Science, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaResearch Center of Experimental Acupuncture Science, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaResearch Center of Experimental Acupuncture Science, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaResearch Center of Experimental Acupuncture Science, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaSchool of Acupuncture and Moxibustion and Tuina, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaNational Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, ChinaTianjin Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine Theory of Innovation and Application, Tianjin, ChinaResearch Center of Experimental Acupuncture Science, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaSchool of Acupuncture and Moxibustion and Tuina, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaNational Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, ChinaTianjin Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine Theory of Innovation and Application, Tianjin, ChinaResearch Center of Experimental Acupuncture Science, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaNational Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, ChinaTianjin Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine Theory of Innovation and Application, Tianjin, ChinaResearch Center of Experimental Acupuncture Science, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaSchool of Acupuncture and Moxibustion and Tuina, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, ChinaNational Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin, ChinaTianjin Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine Theory of Innovation and Application, Tianjin, ChinaIn the past few decades, the use of acupuncture analgesia in clinical practice has increased worldwide. This is due to its various benefits, including natural alleviation of pain without causing various adverse effects associated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and opioids. The acupoint represents the initial site of acupuncture stimulation, where diverse types of nerve fibers located at the acupoint hold significant roles in the generation and transmission of acupuncture-related information. In this study, we analyzed the patterns and mechanisms of acupuncture analgesic mediated by acupoint afferent fibers, and found that acupuncture stimulates acupoints which rapidly and directly induces activation of high-density primary afferent fibers under the acupoints, including myelinated A fibers and unmyelinated C fibers. During acupuncture stimulation at the muscle layer, the analgesic effects can be induced by stimulation of A fiber threshold intensity. At the skin layer, the analgesic effects can only be produced by stimulation of C fiber threshold intensity. Electroacupuncture (EA) activates A fibers, while manual acupuncture (MA) activates both A and C fibers. Furthermore, acupuncture alters acupoint microenvironments, which positively modulates afferent fibers, enhancing the transmission of analgesic signals. In addition to local activation and conduction at acupoints, nerve fibers mediate the transmission of acupuncture information to pain centers. In the spinal cord, acupuncture activates neurons by inducing afferent fiber depolarization, modulating pain gating, inhibiting long-term potentiation (LTP) of the spinal dorsal horn and wide dynamic range (WDR) neuronal activities. At higher nerve centers, acupuncture inhibits neuronal activation in pain-related brain regions. In summary, acupuncture inhibits pain signal transmission at peripheral and central systems by activating different patterns of afferent fibers located on various layers of acupoints. This study provides ideas for enhancing the precise application and clinical translation of acupuncture.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1239839/fullacupunctureacupointafferent fibersanalgesiaacupuncture effect |
| spellingShingle | Zezhi Fan Baomin Dou Jiangshan Wang Yongjian Wu Simin Du Jiashan Li Kaifang Yao Yanwei Li Shenjun Wang Shenjun Wang Shenjun Wang Shenjun Wang Yinan Gong Yinan Gong Yinan Gong Yinan Gong Yi Guo Yi Guo Yi Guo Zhifang Xu Zhifang Xu Zhifang Xu Zhifang Xu Effects and mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia mediated by afferent nerves in acupoint microenvironments Frontiers in Neuroscience acupuncture acupoint afferent fibers analgesia acupuncture effect |
| title | Effects and mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia mediated by afferent nerves in acupoint microenvironments |
| title_full | Effects and mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia mediated by afferent nerves in acupoint microenvironments |
| title_fullStr | Effects and mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia mediated by afferent nerves in acupoint microenvironments |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects and mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia mediated by afferent nerves in acupoint microenvironments |
| title_short | Effects and mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia mediated by afferent nerves in acupoint microenvironments |
| title_sort | effects and mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia mediated by afferent nerves in acupoint microenvironments |
| topic | acupuncture acupoint afferent fibers analgesia acupuncture effect |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1239839/full |
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