To explore the mechanism by which moxibustion with seed-sized moxa cones improves colonic tissue damage by regulating the cuproptosis signaling pathway in mice with ulcerative colitis (UC).

Thirty male C57BL/6 mice were randomly and equally divided into a control group, a model group, and a seed-sized moxa cone moxibustion (moxibustion) group (n=10 per group) using a random number table. The UC model was established by feeding the mice with 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) solution for 7 consecutive days. After successful establishment of the UC model, the mice of the moxibustion group received moxibustion at “Zhongwan” (CV12), bilateral “Tianshu” (ST25) and bilateral “Shangjuxu” (ST37) for 3 cones, once daily for 7 consecutive days. The disease activity index (DAI) was recorded, fecal occult blood assessed, colon length measured, and the serum contents of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-10 were determined by ELISA. Histopathological changes of the colon tissue were observed after HE staining, changes of colonic ultrastructure observed by using a transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the mitochondrial membrane potential in the colonic epithelial cells measured after JC-1 staining. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was detected using flow cytometry, and the copper ion (Cu²⁺) content in the colon tissue was detected by colorimetry. The mRNA and protein expression levels of ferredoxin 1 (FDX1), dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase (DLAT), dihydrolipoamide succinyltransferase (DLST), lipoic acid synthetase (LIAS), and heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70) in the colon tissue were detected by using quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot, separately. The immunofluorescence intensity of DLAT in the colon tissue was evaluated by immunofluorescence staining.

Compared with the control group, the model group showed a significant increase in the DAI score, serum TNF-α and IL-1β contents, mitochondrial low-potential ratio, ROS level in colonic epithelial cells, Cu²⁺ content, and expressions of HSP70 mRNA and protein (P<0.01), and a considerable decrease in the colon length, serum IL-10, expression levels of FDX1, DLAT, DLST and LIAS mRNAs and proteins and immunofluorescence intensity of DLAT immunoactivity (P<0.01). In comparison with the model group, both the increased and decreased levels of the indexes mentioned above were all reversed in the moxibustion group (P<0.01, P<0.05). In addition, the fecal occult blood test was positive in the model group and weakly positive in the moxibustion group. Results of HE staining and TEM exhibited obvious damage of the intestinal mucosal epithelium with inflammatory cell infiltration, irregular mitochondrial morphology, varying degrees of swelling and vacuolization, and blurred or even broken and disappeared cristae structure in the model group； and alleviation in the pathological damage of colonic mucosal epithelium and inflammatory infiltration, improved internal structure of the colon epithelial cells, and reduction in the degree of mitochondrial swelling and vacuolization in the moxibustion group.

Moxibustion with seed-sized moxa cones can alleviate symptoms and colonic tissue injury in UC mice, which may be associated with its functions in up-regulating the expressions of cuproptosis-related proteins and genes and improving mitochondrial function and oxidative stress.

To screen the population for acupuncture treatment of neck pain, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology and based on machine learning algorithms.

Eighty patients with neck pain were recruited. Using FPX25 handheld pressure algometer, the tender points were detected in the areas with high-frequent onset of neck pain and high degree of acupoint sensitization. Acupuncture was delivered at 4 tender points with the lowest pain threshold, once every two days; and the treatment was given 3 times a week and for 2 consecutive weeks. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) of the brain before treatment was taken as a predictive feature to construct support vector machine (SVM), logistic regression (LR), and K-nearest neighbors (KNN) models to predict the responses of neck pain patients to acupuncture treatment. A longitudinal analysis of the ALFF features was performed before and after treatment to reveal the potential biological markers of the reactivity to the acupuncture therapy.

The SVM model could successfully distinguish high responders (48 cases) and low responders (32 cases) to acupuncture treatment, and its accuracy rate reached 82.5%. Based on the SVM model, the ALFF values of 4 brain regions were identified as the consistent predictive features, including the right middle temporal gyrus, the right superior occipital gyrus, and the bilateral posterior cingulate gyrus. In the patients with high acupuncture response, the ALFF value in the left posterior cingulate gyrus decreased after treatment (P＜0.05), whereas in the patients with low acupuncture response, the ALFF value in the right superior occipital gyrus increased after treatment (P＜0.01). The longitudinal functional connectivity (FC) analysis found that compared with those before treatment, the high responders showed the enhanced FC after treatment between the left posterior cingulate gyrus and various regions, including the bilateral Crus1 of the cerebellum, the right insula, the bilateral angular gyrus, the left medial superior frontal gyrus, and the left middle cingulate gyrus (GRF: corrected, voxel level: P＜0.05, mass level: P＜0.05). In contrast, the low responders exhibited the enhanced FC between the left posterior cingulate gyrus and the left Crus2 of the cerebellum, the left middle temporal gyrus, the right posterior cingulate gyrus, and the left angular gyrus; besides, FC was reduced in low responders between the left posterior cingulate gyrus and the right supramarginal gyrus (GRF: corrected, voxel level: P＜0.05, mass level: P＜0.05).

This study validates the practicality of pre-treatment ALFF feature prediction for acupuncture efficacy on neck pain. The therapeutic effect of acupuncture on neck pain is potentially associated with its impact on the default mode network, and then, alter the pain perception and emotional regulation.