The Analgesic Effect of NLRP3 Inflammasome in the Relief of Inflammatory Pain by Electroacupuncture: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Animal Studies

作者：Ruisi Su, Zhefeng Wang, Guodong Zhang, Yinghui Tao, Haonan Zhu, Haibo Chen, Jiaying Li, Zhichao Sun · 发表于：Journal of Pain Research · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.2147/jpr.s534757 · 被引用次数：5 · 研究领域：Acupuncture Treatment Research Studies、Pain Mechanisms and Treatments、Healthcare and Venom Research

Introduction: Inflammatory pain originates from the inflammatory response triggered by tissue injury, accompanied by the release of pro-inflammatory mediators. NLRP3 inflammasome, as a key innate immune receptor, plays a central role in inflammatory pain. Electroacupuncture (EA) is a commonly used analgesic method in clinical practice. Its anti-inflammatory mechanism involves regulating neural-immune interaction, regulating the balance of pro-inflammatory/anti-inflammatory cytokines, and inhibiting the NF-κB pathway. However, whether EA can alleviate inflammatory pain by specifically inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation and its downstream signaling pathways is still unclear. Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the analgesic effects of electroacupuncture on inflammatory pain, focusing on inflammatory cytokines and NLRP3-related signaling pathways to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Studies that meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected by searching PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases. To evaluate the quality of each included study using the modified 10-item checklist from the Collaboration for the Advancement of Meta-analysis in Animal Research. After extracting the relevant data, perform a meta-analysis using RevMan software. Results: A total of 10 studies were included. The results of the meta-analysis indicated that electroacupuncture treatment increased the heat pain threshold [-2.74 (95% CI -3.50 ~ -1.98)] and mechanical ...