Liu Lu, Li Weizheng, Wang Linpeng, Gong Pengyun, Lyu Tianli, Liu Dapeng, Zhang Yajie, Guo Yijie, Liu Xiang, Tang Min, Hu Hongke, Liu Chao, Li Bin
Beijing Key Laboratory of Acupuncture Neuromodulation, Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
School of Engineering Medicine & School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China.
Front Neurosci. 2022 Sep 29;16:1013328. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1013328. eCollection 2022.
Migraine is a neurovascular disease with a high disability rate. Acupuncture treatment has emerged as a safe and viable alternative prophylactic therapy that can effectively alleviate the duration and frequency of migraine attacks. However, the therapeutic mechanisms underlying the effects of acupuncture are yet to be systematically elucidated. In this study, we enrolled female patients with migraine without aura ( = 20) and healthy controls ( = 10). Patients received acupuncture treatment on DU20, DU24, bilateral GB13, GB8, and GB20, applied three times per week over the course of 4 weeks for 12 sessions in total. Blood samples were collected from the median cubital vein before and after acupuncture treatment. Proteomic and metabolomic profiling was performed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry to determine the characteristics of differentially expressed molecules and expression of their corresponding biological pathways as well as to elucidate the pathogenesis of migraine and the biological effects underlying the treatment of migraine with acupuncture. Proteomic and metabolomic profiling of plasma samples from patients with migraine without aura before and after acupuncture treatment revealed enrichment of immune-related pathway functions and the arginine synthesis pathway. Joint pathway analyses revealed significant enrichment of the pentose phosphate and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathways in patients with migraine. The glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and riboflavin metabolism pathways were significantly enriched after acupuncture treatment. The expression levels of various key proteins and metabolites, including α-D-glucose, flavin adenine dinucleotide, biliverdin reductase B, and L-glutamate, were significantly differentially expressed before and after acupuncture treatment in patients with migraine without aura. Treatment of migraine with acupuncture was associated with significant changes in key molecules and pathways, indicative of physiological changes in the trigeminovascular system, glutamate neurotoxicity, and other migraine-related physiological changes. Overall, our comprehensive analysis using proteomic and metabolomic profiling demonstrates that energy metabolism may serve as a key correlative link in the occurrence of migraine and the therapeutic effects of acupuncture treatment. Our findings may facilitate the identification of diagnostic and therapeutic modalities in the ongoing search for effective treatments for migraine attacks.
偏头痛是一种致残率很高的神经血管疾病。针灸治疗已成为一种安全可行的预防性替代疗法，可有效减轻偏头痛发作的持续时间和频率。然而，针灸作用的治疗机制尚未得到系统阐明。在本研究中，我们纳入了无先兆偏头痛女性患者（n = 20）和健康对照者（n = 10）。患者接受针刺百会（DU20）、神庭（DU24）、双侧胆经的风池（GB13）、颔厌（GB8）和肩井（GB20）治疗，每周3次，共4周，总计12次治疗。在针刺治疗前后从肘正中静脉采集血样。使用液相色谱 - 质谱法进行蛋白质组学和代谢组学分析，以确定差异表达分子的特征及其相应生物途径的表达，并阐明偏头痛的发病机制以及针灸治疗偏头痛的生物学效应。对无先兆偏头痛患者针刺治疗前后血浆样本进行蛋白质组学和代谢组学分析，发现免疫相关途径功能和精氨酸合成途径富集。联合途径分析显示偏头痛患者磷酸戊糖途径和糖酵解/糖异生途径显著富集。针刺治疗后糖酵解/糖异生途径和核黄素代谢途径显著富集。在无先兆偏头痛患者中，针刺治疗前后多种关键蛋白质和代谢物的表达水平存在显著差异，包括α - D - 葡萄糖、黄素腺嘌呤二核苷酸、胆绿素还原酶B和L - 谷氨酸。针灸治疗偏头痛与关键分子和途径的显著变化相关，表明三叉神经血管系统、谷氨酸神经毒性和其他与偏头痛相关的生理变化存在生理改变。总体而言，我们使用蛋白质组学和代谢组学分析的综合分析表明，能量代谢可能是偏头痛发生和针灸治疗效果的关键关联环节。我们的研究结果可能有助于在寻找偏头痛发作有效治疗方法的过程中确定诊断和治疗方式。
