ArticleMolecular pain
Electroacupuncture may alleviate neuropathic pain via suppressing P2X7R expression.
Article in Molecular pain. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
32 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 46 citations in OpenAlex.
- Therapeutic efficacy of acupuncture point stimulation for stomach cancer pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Pooled it
- To Prune or to Protect: Complement-Mediated Microglial Synaptic Pruning as a Therapeutic Target in Neuropathic Pain.Molecular neurobiology · 2026Review
- Electroacupuncture and P2X receptors: purinergic mechanisms in pain modulation : A narrative review with structured evidence mapping.Purinergic signalling · 2026Review
- Molecular Mechanisms of Electroacupuncture-Induced Spinal Microglial Reprogramming in Neuropathic Pain: A Systematic Search-Narrative Review.Brain sciences · 2026Review
- Mechanisms of Acupuncture on the Neurovascular Unit in Migraine: A Narrative Review.European journal of neurology · 2026Review
- P2X7 Receptor as a Therapeutic Target for Neuropathic Pain: From Mechanisms to Translational Strategies.Current pain and headache reports · 2026Review
- Effects of FGF4/HIF-1α axis-mediated neuronal glycolysis on neuropathic pain.The journal of headache and pain · 2026Article
- Focusing on inflammation-driven pyroptosis in postherpetic neuralgia: from molecular mechanisms to therapeutic strategies.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Electroacupuncture combined with subanesthetic alfaxalone as a novel target for alleviating neuropathic pain.Pain reports · 2025Article
- The role of purinergic signaling in acupuncture-mediated relief of neuropathic and inflammatory pain.Purinergic signalling · 2025Review
- Accurate Chemogenetics Determines Electroacupuncture Analgesia Through Increased CB1 to Suppress the TRPV1 Pathway in a Mouse Model of Fibromyalgia.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Efficacy and Safety of Electroacupuncture for Postherpetic Neuralgia and Biomarker Evaluation: A Study Protocol for a Multicenter, Randomized Trial.Journal of pain research · 2025Article
- Microglia's Phenotypic Heterogeneity in Pain Pathogenesis and Electroacupuncture Analgesia: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potential.Journal of pain research · 2025Review
- Immediate Analgesic Efficacy of Acupuncture in Acute Postoperative Pain Following Internal Fixation of Intertrochanteric Femoral Fractures: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of pain research · 2025Article
- Focus on P2X7R in microglia: its mechanism of action and therapeutic prospects in various neuropathic pain models.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Review
- Amygdala-Targeted Relief of Neuropathic Pain: Efficacy of Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in NLRP3 Pathway Suppression.Molecular neurobiology · 2024Article
- Electroacupuncture Alleviates Pain by Suppressing P2Y12R-Dependent Microglial Activation in Monoarthritic Rats.Neurochemical research · 2024Article
- Electroacupuncture suppresses neuronal ferroptosis to relieve chronic neuropathic pain.Journal of cellular and molecular medicine · 2024Article
- Exercise, Spinal Microglia and Neuropathic Pain: Potential Molecular Mechanisms.Neurochemical research · 2024Review
- Acupuncture and Moxibustion in the Treatment of Gynecological Perioperative Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of pain research · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Neuropathic pain is a severe problem that is difficult to treat clinically. Reducing abnormal remodeling of dendritic spines/synapses and increasing the anti-inflammatory effects in the spinal cord dorsal horn are potential methods to treat this disease. Previous studies have reported that electroacupuncture (EA) could increase the pain threshold after peripheral nerve injury. However, the underlying mechanism is unclear. P2X7 receptors (P2X7R) mediate the activation of microglia and participate in the occurrence and development of neuropathic pain. We hypothesized that the effects of EA on relieving pain may be related to the downregulation of the P2X7R. Spinal nerve ligation (SNL) rats were used as a model in this experiment, and 2'(3')-O-(4-benzoyl)benzoyl ATP (BzATP) was used as a P2X7R agonist. We found that EA treatment decreased dendritic spine density, inhibited synaptic reconstruction and reduced inflammatory response, which is consistent with the decrease in P2X7R expression as well as the improved neurobehavioral performance. In contrast to the beneficial effects of EA, BzATP enhanced abnormal remodeling of dendritic spines/synapses and inflammation. Furthermore, the EA-mediated positive effects were reversed by BzATP, which is consistent with the increased P2X7R expression. These findings indicated that EA improves neuropathic pain by reducing abnormal dendritic spine/synaptic reconstruction and inflammation via suppressing P2X7R expression.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.