Cui Jingwen, Song Wanrong, Jin Yipeng, Xu Huihao, Fan Kai, Lin Degui, Hao Zhihui, Lin Jiahao
College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, No. 2, Yuanmingyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China.
Center of Research and Innovation of Chinese Traditional Veterinary Medicine, Beijing 100193, China.
Vet Sci. 2021 Jul 30;8(8):149. doi: 10.3390/vetsci8080149.
As one of the conventional treatment methods, acupuncture is an indispensable component of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Currently, acupuncture has been partly accepted throughout the world, but the mechanism of acupuncture is still unclear. Since the theory of the neuro-endocrine-immune network was put forward, new insights have been brought into the understanding of the mechanism of acupuncture. Studies have proven that acupuncture is a mechanical stimulus that can activate local cell functions and neuroreceptors. It also regulates the release of related biomolecules (peptide hormones, lipid hormones, neuromodulators and neurotransmitters, and other small and large biomolecules) in the microenvironment, where they can affect each other and further activate the neuroendocrine-immune network to achieve holistic regulation. Recently, growing efforts have been made in the research on the mechanism of acupuncture. Some researchers have transitioned from studying the mechanism of acupuncture as a single linear pathway to using systems approaches, including metabolomics, genomics, proteomics and biological pathway analysis. This review summarizes the research progress on the neuro-endocrine-immune network related mechanism of acupuncture and discusses its current challenges and future directions.
作为传统治疗方法之一，针灸是中医不可或缺的组成部分。目前，针灸已在全球范围内得到部分认可，但其作用机制仍不明确。自神经 - 内分泌 - 免疫网络理论提出以来，为理解针灸机制带来了新的视角。研究证明，针灸是一种机械刺激，可激活局部细胞功能和神经受体。它还调节微环境中相关生物分子（肽类激素、脂质激素、神经调质和神经递质以及其他大小生物分子）的释放，这些生物分子相互影响，进而激活神经 - 内分泌 - 免疫网络以实现整体调节。近年来，对针灸机制的研究力度不断加大。一些研究人员已从将针灸机制作为单一线性途径进行研究，转变为采用系统方法，包括代谢组学、基因组学、蛋白质组学和生物途径分析。本综述总结了针灸神经 - 内分泌 - 免疫网络相关机制的研究进展，并讨论了其当前面临的挑战和未来方向。
