Electroacupuncture activated local sympathetic noradrenergic signaling to relieve synovitis and referred pain behaviors in knee osteoarthritis rats

作者：Wei Chen, Xiao-Ning Zhang, Yang‐Shuai Su, Xiaoyu Wang, Heng-Cong Li, Yihan Liu, Ye Wan, Zhengyang Qu, Xiang‐Hong Jing, Wei He · 发表于：Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.3389/fnmol.2023.1069965 · 被引用次数：32 · 研究领域：Acupuncture Treatment Research Studies、Pain Mechanisms and Treatments、Vagus Nerve Stimulation Research

Introduction: Recent research has focused on the local control of articular inflammation through neuronal stimulation to avoid the systemic side effects of conventional pharmacological therapies. Electroacupuncture (EA) has been proven to be useful for inflammation suppressing and pain reduction in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients, yet its mechanism remains unclear. Methods: In the present study, the KOA model was established using the intra-articular injection of sodium monoiodoacetate (MIA) (1 mg/50 μL) into the knee cavity. EA was delivered at the ipsilateral ST36-GB34 acupoints. Hind paw weight-bearing and withdrawl thresholds were measured. On day 9, the histology, dep enrichment proteins, cytokines contents, immune cell population of the synovial membrane of the affected limbs were measured using HE staining, Masson staining, DIA quantitative proteomic analysis, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining, ELISA, and Western Blot. The ultrastructure of the saphenous nerve of the affected limb was observed using transmission electron microscopy on the 14th day after modeling. Results: The result demonstrated that EA intervention during the midterm phase of the articular inflammation alleviated inflammatory pain behaviors and cartilage damage, but not during the early phase. Mid-term EA suppressed the levels of proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in the synovium on day 9 after MIA by elevating the level of sympathetic neurotransmitters Norepinephrine (NE) i...