Introduction: Traditional Chinese acupuncture has been demonstrated to be beneficial for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The mechanism of acupuncture on T2DM is crucial for their biological activity as well as their usefulness as tools in biology and medicine. However, its mechanism is poorly understood. Methods: In an effort to explore the mechanism, eight db/db mice (a type of spontaneous T2DM mouse) were treated with adjusting internal organs and dredging channel electroacupuncture (AODCEA) for 2 weeks. Another eight db/db mice were fed as T2DM group (T2DMG), and eight db/m mice were set as normal control group (NCG). Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and diabetes-related indicators, such as fasting blood glucose (FBG) and triglyceride (TG), were detected by enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA). The V4 region of 16S rRNA gene was analyzed by Illumina sequencing to evaluate the effect of AODCEA on intestinal flora. The amount of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the feces were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results: Our results indicate that AODCEA treatment can reduce diabetes-related indicators. We observed the increased probiotics such as Blautia and Lactobacillus and decreased opportunist pathogens (Alistipes, Helicobacter, Prevotella) by AODCEA interventions. Importantly, the total amount of SCFAs in the feces of T2DM mice was promoted by AODCEA. Finally, obviously alleviated systemic inflammation was exhibited through AODCEA treatment by detection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in serum. Conclusion: AODCEA can reshape the structure of intestinal flora, which can increase intestinal SCFAs, affect the circulating LPS level, and reduce the inflammatory response.

Chronic insomnia has the potential to significantly impact physical well-being, occupational performance, and overall quality of life. This review summarizes the clinical and basic research on the central regulatory mechanism of acupuncture in treating primary insomnia (PI), aiming to explore the clinical effectiveness and possible mechanism of acupuncture in treating PI. The currently available drugs for insomnia exhibit notable adverse effects and tend to induce dependence. Empirical evidence from clinical investigations has demonstrated that acupuncture has a favorable safety profile while substantially enhancing the sleep quality of individuals diagnosed with PI. The combination of acupuncture and medication has been shown to augment the therapeutic efficacy of medication while reducing the dosage and mitigating the occurrence of unwanted effects. A review of the current clinical and basic research on the effects of acupuncture on central alterations in PI patients revealed that acupuncture exerts a regulatory influence on the functional activity of brain regions implicated in cognitive and emotional processes. Additionally, acupuncture has been found to impact metabolite levels and circadian clock gene expression and enhance inflammatory responses and energy metabolism. Notably, a single acupuncture intervention had a modulatory effect on functional brain regions similar to that of cumulative acupuncture. The current clinical trials on acupuncture have been limited in scale, and basic research has focused on a single objective. With the continuous progress of brain research, extensive clinical randomized controlled trials of high quality can be combined with various neuroimaging technology modalities. Moreover, different targets and pathways can be explored through basic research. This may serve to enhance the understanding of the fundamental central nervous system mechanisms involved in the efficacy of acupuncture in treating PI.

Introduction: The study objective was to investigate the effects of electroacupuncture performed at the he-sea and front-mu acupoints on the intestinal microflora and intestinal barrier in db/db mice and to explore the related mechanism in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: Db/m mice in the normal control group (NOC), electroacupuncture group (EA), metformin group (MET) and T2DM group (T2DM) were used as model controls, and db/db mice were used in all three groups, with 8 mice in each group. The treatment period was 2 weeks. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) and triglyceride (TG) levels were measured. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were detected by enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA). The ileal tissue was stained with hematoxylin-eosin staining (H&E), and histopathological changes were observed under a light microscope. Illumina sequencing was used to analyze the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene to evaluate the effect of EA on the intestinal flora. Results: Our results suggest that EA treatment can reduce the expression of diabetes-related markers, with an effect similar to that of metformin. After EA intervention, the abundance of Firmicutes and the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes increased, while the abundances of Bacteroidetes and Eubacterium decreased. In addition, the serum levels of LPS and TNF-α in the electroacupuncture group were downregulated, and ileal tissue damage was alleviated under an electron microscope. Conclusion: EA combined with acupoints can restore the intestinal flora structure, decrease the blood LPS level, reduce levels of inflammation, maintain the integrity of the intestinal barrier, and play a therapeutic role in the treatment of T2DM, mainly by increasing the abundance of Firmicutes and the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes and decreasing the abundances of Bacteroidetes and Eubacterium.

The present review describes the mechanisms of NETosis and its role in myocardial ischemia‑reperfusion injury (MIRI), focusing on the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) by activated neutrophils. NETs, composed of depolymerized chromatin and granule proteins, are crucial for pathogen entrapment, infection control and immune regulation. However, NET formation, linked to neutrophil death (NETosis), exacerbates MIRI by promoting inflammation and tissue damage. To address therapeutic strategies for NETosis in MIRI, several potential clinically significant approaches were explored, including peptidylarginine deaminase 4 inhibition, DNase therapy, antioxidants, inflammation modulation, and antithrombotic treatments, which not only provide novel diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in MIRI, but are also expected to improve patient prognosis and advance the development of personalised medicine.

Introduction: Diabetic cognitive impairment (DCI) is a chronic complication of the central nervous system (CNS) caused by diabetes that affects learning and memory capacities over time. Recently, acupuncture has been shown to improve cognitive impairment in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. However, the effects of electroacupuncture on DCI and its underlying mechanism have not yet been elucidated in detail. Methods: In this study, we used db/db mice as DCI animal models which showed low cognitive, learning and memory functions. Electroacupuncture significantly ameliorated DCI, which is reflected by better spatial learning and memory function using behavioral tests. The db/db mice with cognitive impairment were randomly divided into a model group (Mod) and an electroacupuncture treatment group (Acup), while db/m mice were used as a normal control group (Con). First, the mice were subjected to behavioural tests using the Morris water maze (MWM), and body weight, blood glucose, insulin, triglycerides (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) were observed; HE, Nissl, and TUNEL staining were used to observe the morphological changes and neuronal apoptosis in the mice hippocampus; Finally, Western blot and rt-PCR were applied to detect the essential proteins and mRNA of ERS and insulin signalling pathway, as well as the expression levels of Tau and Aβ.Results: Electroacupuncture significantly ameliorated DCI, which is reflected by better spatial learning and memory function using behavioral tests. Moreover, electroacupuncture attenuated diabetes-induced morphological structure change, neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampus of db/db mice. Our results revealed that electroacupuncture could regulate the expression levels of Tau and Aβ by improving hippocampal ERS levels in db/db mice, inhibiting JNK activation, attenuating IRS1 serine phosphorylation, and restoring normal transduction of the insulin signaling pathway.Discussion: In summary, ERS and insulin signaling pathway paly causal roles in DCI development. Electroacupuncture can significantly alleviate the pathogenesis of DCI, improve mice's learning and memory ability, and improve cognitive dysfunction. This study adds to our understanding of the effect of acupuncture on DCI and opens the door to further research on DCI.

Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS) is a non-invasive therapeutic approach that combines modern electrophysiological technology with traditional Chinese medicine principles. Over the past few decades, TEAS has become a significant medical intervention during the perioperative period and its mechanisms have seen a continuous development. These mechanisms span across multiple aspects, including the regulation of the neuroendocrine network system, inhibition of oxidative stress, alleviation of immune suppression, regulation of endothelial function, and inhibition of coagulation and fibrinolysis system activation. This article aims to summarize and elaborate the mechanisms of TEAS in the perioperative period and to discuss current research challenges. Future studies should strive to optimize treatment protocols to promote the research on the mechanisms of TEAS in the perioperative period, subsequently offering patients safer and more effective treatment alternatives.