- 期刊
Investigation into the Mechanism of Electroacupuncture at Hegu and Taichong Points for Alleviating Pain Induced by ATP Injection
摘要
This study endeavors to elucidate the pain mechanism associated with ATP injection combined with Electroacupuncture at Hegu and Taizhong points, aiming to furnish a scientific foundation for subsequent clinical investigations. Methods: Sixty rats were randomly divided into five groups: the control group received injections of normal saline; the model group received injections of ATP solution; the intervention group underwent electroacupuncture at frequencies of 20Hz, 30Hz, and 50Hz. Electroacupuncture was administered at both Hegu and Taichong points once daily for 20 minutes each session. Blood RNA was extracted using the TRIzol method, followed by gene sequencing to identify differential genes. Additionally, "pain" gene data were retrieved from the NCBI gene database and intersected with the sequencing data. Enrichment analysis, module analysis, miRNA-mRNA regulatory network analysis, and PCR verification of core genes were conducted. Furthermore, assessments were made for cell cycle, apoptosis, ROS levels, and mitochondrial membrane potential. Results: Differential gene expression (DGE) analysis revealed 3688 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the sequencing data, comprising 3569 up-regulated genes and 119 down-regulated genes. From the NCBI database, 580 pain-related genes were retrieved, and Venn diagram analysis identified 59 overlapping DEGs. KEGG analysis indicated involvement in pathways such as EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance, PD-L1 expression, and the PD-1 checkpoint pathway in cancer. The Cytoscape MCODE plug-in identified a core module comprising 14 shared DEGs. Topological analysis algorithms including Degree, EPC, MCC, and MNC from the CytoHubba plug-in in Cytoscape software were utilized to identify the top 10 key genes in the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. A Venn diagram illustrated eight core genes identified by all four algorithms: TLR4, CREB1, FOXP3, STAT3, JUN, JAK2, CD274, and ALB. Compared to the ATP group, the electroacupuncture group exhibited significantly decreased apoptosis levels (P<0.001), increased mitochondrial membrane potential (P<0.001), increased G0/G1 cycle cells (P<0.05), and decreased ROS levels. Electroacupuncture also inhibited the expression of total CREB1 and increased the expression levels of TLR4, FOXP3, STAT3, JUN, JAK2, CD274, and ALB in ATP-induced pain rats. Conclusion: Electroacupuncture can inhibit pain induced by ATP injection.