To investigate the effects of a digital electric fire-needling acupuncture device (EFNA) in a mouse model of chronic eczema (CE) and aimed to elucidate its underlying antipruritic mechanisms.

Forty bagg albino (BALB)/c mice were randomly assigned to 4 groups: control, model, EFNA, and halometasone groups (n = 10). Except for the control group, CE was induced in all groups using 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene. After model establishment, mice in the EFNA group received EFNA treatment at the lesional skin sites, whereas the halometasone group received a dose-tapering regimen of topical halometasone for two weeks. The eczema area severity index of the dorsal skin, and scratching frequency (bouts/10 min) were assessed after model induction and treatment. The splenic index was recorded post-intervention. Hematoxylin and eosin staining evaluated skin morphology, and Western blot analysis determined expression levels of CXC motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10), CXC chemokine receptor type 3 (CXCR3), mas-related g-protein coupled receptor member A3 (MrgprA3), and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) in skin tissue.

Both EFNA and halometasone markedly reduced eczema area severity index scores (both P < .001), significantly decreased scratching frequency (P = .010, P = .007), and reduced the spleen index (P = .029, P < .001). EFNA also alleviated edema and epidermal thickening in lesional skin, decreased local lymphocyte infiltration, and downregulated CXCL10, CXCR3, MrgprA3, and TRPV1 expression in skin tissues (all P < .001).

EFNA ameliorated 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-induced chronic eczematous lesions, with reductions in pruritus, inflammatory edema and cellular infiltration, alongside downregulation of CXCL10, CXCR3, MrgprA3, and TRPV1. These findings suggest that the antipruritic effect of EFNA may involve modulation of the non-histaminergic itch transmission pathway, providing new insights into the mechanism of fire-needling therapy for CE.

To observe the effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on the innate immune function of sleep-deprived rats, so as to explore its possible molecular mechanisms underlying improvement of sleep deprivation.

Twenty-four SD rats were randomly divided into control, sleep deprivation model, TEAS and sham TEAS groups, with 6 rats in each group. The sleep deprivation model was established by using the modified multi-platform aqueous environment sleep restriction method. TEAS (2 Hz/100 Hz, 2 mA) was applied to “Beixin Tiaoshen Wuxue” (the back-heart Shen-regulating region), bilateral “Sanyinjiao”(SP6) and bilateral “Zusanli”(ST36) for 25 min, once daily for 30 successive days. For rats of the sham TEAS group, the stimulating electrodes were fixed as those in the TEAS group but without electric current supplied. After the intervention, the rats’ sleep latency and sleep duration were measured by pentobarbital sodium righting reflex tests. The spleen and thymus indexes were calculated by organ mass coefficient analysis. Hematoxylin-eosin (H.E.) staining was used to observe the histopathological changes of the spleen and thymus tissues. The contents of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α) and IL-10 in the peripheral blood serum were detected by ELISA. The expression levels of TLR4, MyD88 and NF-κB p65 mRNAs and proteins in the splenic tissues were detected by qPCR and Western blot, separately.

Compared with the rats of the control group, those of the model group showed poorer mental state, fur color and other conditions, with a significant decrease in the body mass from day 7 to 28 after modeling, duration of sleep, index of spleen and thymus, and serum IL-10 content (P<0.05, P<0.01, P<0.001), and a considerable increase in the sleep latency, contents of serum TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6, and the expression levels of TLR4, MyD88 NF-κB p65 mRNAs and proteins (P<0.01). In comparison with the model group and the sham TEAS group, rats in the TEAS group showed better mental state and fur color, with a significant increase in body weight (P<0.01). Other indicators were also improved to varying degrees (P<0.01, P<0.05). H.E. staining showed that both the spleen and thymus tissues in the model group had a typical organ damage including disappearance of the boundary between the white pulp and red pulp, decreased area of the white pulp, decreased density of the lymph follicles, irregular shape of the residual follicles, and interruption of the continuity of lymphatic sheath around the arteries which were apparently milder in the TEAS group rather than in the sham TEAS group.

TEAS can improve sleep and increase body mass in sleep deprivation rats, which may be related to its functions in increasing the index of the spleen and thymus, regulating the balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels and suppressing the activities of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling in the spleen tissue.

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) for muscle atrophy in patients with immobilization after surgical fixation of foot and ankle fractures.

This was a two-arm randomized controlled trial wherein 80 patients were recruited and divided into control (n = 40) and intervention (n = 40) groups. The control group received conventional orthopedic treatment, whereas the intervention group received TEAS and conventional treatment. The intervention group received TEAS 3 times a week for 30 min each time for 8 weeks. The primary outcomes were muscle thickness (MT) and cross-sectional area (CSA) of the rectus femoris and gastrocnemius muscles, whereas the secondary outcome measure was echo intensity (EI). Data were collected before the fixation operations (baseline assessment) and 4 and 8 weeks after intervention.

Compared with baseline, the MT and CSA were reduced in both groups by the end of treatment, whereas EI increased in both groups. At week 4, the reduction in the rectus femoris CSA in the intervention group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P =.02); however, the between-group differences in the MT and EI (all P >.05) were not significant. No serious adverse events were observed in either group.

Our study showed that TEAS can improve muscle atrophy by attenuating the decline in the muscle CSA. Because this was only a pilot trial, subsequent studies will need longer follow-ups and larger sample sizes.

Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy to cure diseases by fumigating meridians or affected parts via burning of moxa floss. Moxa smoke (MS) is one of the key factors in moxibustion. In this study, we adopted digital gene expression profiling, a next-generation gene sequencing technology, to investigate the effect of MS, inhalable particulate matter (PM₁₀), on human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells.

The effects of MS PM₁₀ on A549 cells, over different treatment durations were investigated in different groups: the 4-h group (4-h MS group and 4-h control group) and the 20-h group (20-h MS group and 20-h control group). Samples collected from the four groups were stored at −80 ℃ for subsequent digital gene expression analysis. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs), identified after PM₁₀ treatment, were screened, and their expression patterns analyzed by cluster analysis, Gene Ontology term enrichment, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis.

Compared with two control groups, 1109 DEGs were identified after 4 h of MS intervention and 3565 DEGs were found after 20 h of MS intervention, respectively. Compared with that after 4-h intervention, 2149 DEGs were identified after 20-h intervention. Cluster analysis demonstrated that PM₁₀ can significantly inhibit cell cycle process with the prolongation of intervention time. Significant pathway enrichment analysis showed that MS PM₁₀ can inhibit A549 cell cycle process at all phases. When MS PM₁₀ exposure time prolongs, the inhibitory effect on cell cycle process becomes more obvious.

MS PM₁₀ has many biological activities, and may cause differential expression of genes involved in various biological processes. Nevertheless, further research on MS is warranted for better understanding of the mechanistic details.

To observe the effects of moxibustion or moxa smoke on serum lipids, aorta and liver pathology, and carotid plaque stability in atherosclerosis.

Fifty-four 8-week-old ApoE^−/- mice were randomly divided into three groups (untreated, moxibustion, and moxa smoke) and received a high-fat diet. Eighteen wild-type C57BL/6 mice of the same age were used as controls. The intervention (none, moxibustion between the nipples, or 10–15 mg/m³ moxa smoke) was applied to restrained mice 20 min per day, six days per week, for 12 weeks. At the end of the experimental period, we measured serum lipids and apolipoprotein, stained thoracic aortas and livers to observe pathological changes, and used immunohistochemical staining to assess the levels of α-smooth muscle actin, CD68, tumor necrosis factor-α, nuclear transcription factor-κB, and P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. We also measured the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and 9 and tissue metalloproteinase inhibitor-1.

After 12 weeks, lipid metabolism disorder and atherosclerotic plaques were observed in the ApoE^−/- mice. Moxibustion or moxa smoke reduced the levels of serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein, and very low density lipoprotein but did not affect the levels of high density lipoprotein, apolipoprotein A1, or oxidized low density lipoprotein. Moxibustion or moxa smoke suppressed pathological changes in thoracic aortas and livers, increased fiber cap thickness, the fiber cap thickness/intimal medial thickness ratio, and collagen area percentage, and reduced extracellular lipids. Treatment with moxibustion or moxa smoke increased α-smooth muscle actin and reduced CD68 and the vulnerability index, suppressed tumor necrosis factor-α and nuclear transcription factor-κB expression, and did not affect P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase expression. Treatment lowered the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and 9 and increased those of tissue metalloproteinase inhibitor-1.

Moxibustion or moxa smoke exert protective effects in serum lipid profiles and carotid plaque stability in atherosclerotic mice by regulating plaque stability, inflammatory factors, and matrix metalloproteinases.