Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200030, P. R. China.
Shanghai Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Health Service, Shanghai 201203, P. R. China.
Am J Chin Med. 2021;49(3):645-659. doi: 10.1142/S0192415X21500294. Epub 2021 Feb 25.
Acupuncture is a therapeutic treatment that is well recognized in many countries. However, the initiation mechanisms of acupuncture are not well understood. Purinergic signaling has been considered a key signaling pathway in acupuncture in recent years. Acupuncture-induced ATP is mainly produced by mast cells and fibroblasts, and ATP is gradually hydrolyzed into adenosine. ATP and adenosine further participate in the process of acupuncture information transmission to the nervous and immune systems through specific purine receptors. Acupuncture initiates analgesia via the down-regulation of the expression of P2 receptors or up-regulation of the expression of adenosine A receptors on nerve fibers. ATP also promotes the proliferation of immune cells through P2 receptors and A receptors, causing inflammation. In contrast, adenosine activates A receptors, promotes the production and infiltration of immunosuppressive cells, and causes an anti-inflammatory response. In summary, we described the role of purinergic signaling as a general signaling pathway in the initiation of acupuncture and the influence of purinergic signaling on the neuroimmune network to lay the foundation for future systematic research on the mechanisms of acupuncture therapeutics.
针刺疗法在许多国家都得到了广泛认可。然而，针刺的启动机制尚不清楚。近年来，嘌呤能信号被认为是针刺的关键信号通路。针刺诱导的 ATP 主要由肥大细胞和成纤维细胞产生，ATP 逐渐水解为腺苷。ATP 和腺苷通过特定的嘌呤受体进一步参与针刺信息向神经和免疫系统的传递过程。针刺通过下调神经纤维上 P2 受体的表达或上调腺苷 A 受体的表达来启动镇痛作用。ATP 还通过 P2 受体和 A 受体促进免疫细胞的增殖，引起炎症。相反，腺苷激活 A 受体，促进免疫抑制细胞的产生和浸润，引起抗炎反应。综上所述，我们描述了嘌呤能信号作为针刺启动的一般信号通路的作用，以及嘌呤能信号对神经免疫网络的影响，为未来针刺治疗机制的系统研究奠定了基础。
