Research progress on the mechanisms of acupuncture in improving ischemic stroke through autophagy

Stroke is a major disease with high incidence, disability rate, and mortality worldwide. In recent years, a large number of studies have comfirmed that acupuncture treatment for ischemic stroke is closely related to the regulation of autophagy mechanisms. This article summarizes the literature in recent years, discusses the effects of acupuncture on the degradation pathways mediated by autophagosomes, the expression of autophagy-related proteins, autophagy-related pathways, and the impact of mitophagy, and further explores the mechanisms of acupuncture in regulating autophagy to improve ischemic stroke, providing new ideas and schemes for clinical treatment.