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Objective: To observe the effects of acupuncture on the motor function of Parkinson disease (PD) model mice and to investigate the neuroprotective effects of acupuncture on PD from the perspective of cellular senescence. Methods: C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a normal control (NC) group, a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) group, an acupuncture (ACU) group, and a rasagiline (RAS) group, with 6 mice in each group. Except for the mice in the NC group, all mice were injected intraperitoneally with MPTP [30 mg/(kg·bw)] to establish a PD mouse model. After the models were successfully established, mice in the ACU group received acupuncture at Baihui (GV20) and bilateral Yanglingquan (GB34) for 15 min, once a day for 14 consecutive days. Mice in the RAS group were treated with gavage of rasagiline mesylate [0.5 mg/(kg·bw)], once daily for 14 d. Mouse balance and motor functions were detected using the mouse fatigue rotating rod apparatus. Immunohistochemistry staining was used to detect the number of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurons and the protein expression levels of special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 1 (SATB1), p21, and p53 in the substantia nigra (SN) region of the mouse brain in each group. The glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity of mouse brain SN tissue was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The protein expression levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) in the SN tissue of mice in each group were detected by Western blotting. The relative expression of SATB1, p21, and p53 mRNA in the SN of each group was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: Compared with the NC group, the overall rod performance (ORP) score, the number of TH-positive neurons, and GSH-Px activity in the SN region were significantly lower in the mice in the MPTP group (P<0.01); compared with the MPTP group, the ORP score, the number of TH-positive neurons, and GSH-Px activity were significantly increased in the ACU and RAS groups (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Compared with the NC group, the protein levels of IL-6 and SA-β-gal in the SN tissue, the protein and mRNA expression levels of p21 and p53 were significantly increased (P<0.01); compared with the MPTP group, the protein levels of IL-6 and SA-β-gal in the SN tissue, the protein and mRNA expression levels of p21 and p53 were significantly decreased in the ACU group and the RAS group (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Compared with the NC group, the relative expression of SATB1 protein and mRNA in the SN of mice in the MPTP group was significantly decreased (P<0.01); compared with mice in the MPTP group, mice in the ACU and RAS groups showed significant increases in the relative expression of SATB1 protein and mRNA (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Conclusion: Acupuncture can improve motor function and increase the number of TH-positive neurons in the SN of PD model mice. Its neuroprotective effect may relate to the regulation of the SATB1/p21 signaling pathway and the inhibition of cellular senescence-related biomarker expression in the SN.

Objective: To explore the mechanism of herb-partitioned moxibustion in relieving rat intestinal inflammation by focusing on the neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in Crohn disease (CD) development. Methods: Rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, a herb-partitioned moxibustion group, and a mesalazine group. The CD rat model was prepared with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid except for rats in the normal group. Rats in the normal group and model group did not receive any treatment but had the same fixation as the other groups. Rats in the herb-partitioned moxibustion group received herb-partitioned moxibustion at Qihai (CV6) and bilateral Tianshu (ST25). Rats in the mesalazine group received intragastric administration of mesalazine enteric-coated tablets. The general situation of rats in each group was recorded, and the histopathological changes in the colon were observed and scored by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The serum concentrations of NETs DNA (NETs-DNA), neutrophil elastase (NE)-DNA, and myeloperoxidase (MPO)-DNA were detected by ABC enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the citrullinated histone 3 (citH3), MPO, and NE protein and mRNA expression levels in rat colon tissue were observed by immunofluorescence and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results: Compared with the normal group, the mucosal ulcer reached the muscularis, the epithelium was incomplete, the goblet cells decreased obviously with significant inflammatory cell infiltration in the colon; the colonic mucosa damage index (CMDI) score increased significantly (P<0.01); the serum NETs-DNA, NE-DNA, and MPO-DNA concentrations increased (P<0.05); the NE, citH3, and MPO protein and mRNA expression in the colonic tissues increased significantly in the model group (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the mucosal epithelium in the herb-partitioned moxibustion group and the mesalazine group was repaired and the goblet cells increased with a few infiltrating inflammatory cells in the colon; the CMDI score decreased (P<0.01); the serum NETs-DNA, NE-DNA, and MPO-DNA concentrations decreased (P<0.05); the NE, citH3, and MPO protein and mRNA expression in the colonic tissues was down-regulated (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Conclusion: Herb-partitioned moxibustion reduced the serum NETs complex and inhibited the protein and mRNA expression of NETs complex in the colon tissue, which may be one mechanism of herb-partitioned moxibustion in relieving colon mucosal inflammation in CD.

Objective: To systematically assess the efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapy for essential hypertension. Methods: A computerized literature search of the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chongqing VIP Database (CQVIP), Wanfang Academic Journal Full-text Database (Wanfang), China Biology Medicine Disc (CBM), PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library was conducted to retrieve randomized controlled clinical trials on acupuncture as the main intervention for the treatment of essential hypertension published from the inception of the database to 30 January 2021. The risk-of-bias assessment was carried out for each included study according to the Cochrane Handbook. Data analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.4.1 and Stata 15.0. Results: After the screening, 46 randomized controlled trials involving a total of 3 859 subjects were included. Primary outcomes included changes in the diastolic blood pressure after intervention [eight studies showed that the acupuncture plus antihypertensive drug group was better than the antihypertensive drug monotherapy group [mean difference (MD)=1.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.48, 2.43), P=0.004, fixed effects model; I2=39%] and changes in the systolic blood pressure after intervention {11 studies showed that the acupuncture plus antihypertensive drug group was better than the antihypertensive drug monotherapy group [MD=8.60, 95%CI (7.12, 10.07), P<0.00001, fixed effects model; I2=26%]}. The secondary outcome was antihypertensive efficacy, 12 studies of acupuncture monotherapy group [risk ratio (RR)=1.20, 95%CI (1.12, 1.28), P<0.00001, fixed effects model; I2=36%] and 15 studies of acupuncture combined with antihypertensive drug group [RR=1.27, 95%CI (1.20, 1.34), P<0.00001, fixed effects model; I2=6%] showed better results than the antihypertensive drug monotherapy group in antihypertensive efficacy. In terms of the adverse events, four studies showed that the acupuncture monotherapy group had fewer adverse events than the antihypertensive drug monotherapy group [RR=0.10, 95%CI (0.04, 0.25), P<0.00001, fixed effects model; I2=0%]. Conclusion: Acupuncture combined with antihypertensive drugs is superior to antihypertensive drugs alone in reducing blood pressure, and acupuncture therapy is effective and safe for the treatment of essential hypertension with fewer side effects. However, there is still a lack of high-quality multicenter randomized double-blinded controlled trials in this field. Rigorous large-sample clinical trials are needed to validate these findings.