ReviewCells2022
Activation of Subcutaneous Mast Cells in Acupuncture Points Triggers Analgesia.
Review in Cells, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 40 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
40 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 61 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Acupuncture for neonatal abstinence syndrome in newborn infants.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of combined transversus abdominis plane block under direct vision and acupoint injection on promoting rapid recovery after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.Langenbeck's archives of surgery · 2025Trial
- Electroacupuncture and P2X receptors: purinergic mechanisms in pain modulation : A narrative review with structured evidence mapping.Purinergic signalling · 2026Review
- Subcutaneous Neuromodulation Activates Central Pain-Suppression Pathways for Analgesia.CNS neuroscience & therapeutics · 2026Article
- Therapeutic mechanisms of acupuncture therapy for acute pain in the emergency department.Integrative medicine research · 2026Review
- Acute effects of a single electroacupuncture session on purinergic signaling and inflammatory markers in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain: a pilot study.Purinergic signalling · 2026Article
- TRPV4-Mast Cell Interactions in Neurogenic Inflammation and Chronic Diseases: A Narrative Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Mechanical cues as immunomodulators in neuroinflammation-driven spinal sensitization: analgesic mechanisms and therapeutic strategies.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Revolutionizing the understanding of acupoint biology and acupuncture mechanisms through spatial omics: current perspectives and future directions.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Review
- Central Neurobiological Mechanisms of Acupuncture in Post-Stroke Depression: Multi-Target and Network-Based Regulation.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2026Review
- Uncovering the mechanisms of homologous point acupuncture on knee osteoarthritis through an integrated study of metabolomics and proteomics.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2026Article
- Mild Moxibustion Alleviates Primary Dysmenorrhea in Rats Through TRPV1-Associated Modulation of NF-κB Signaling and Uterine Oxidative Stress.Journal of pain research · 2026Article
- Skin-Brain Axis: neural pathways in acupuncture treatment.Chinese medicine · 2025Review
- Keratinocyte Piezo1 and CD39 initiated the acupuncture analgesic signals via Co-regulating extracellular ATP mobilization at acupoints.Journal of traditional and complementary medicine · 2025Article
- CD39 activities in the treated acupoints contributed to the analgesic mechanism of acupuncture on arthritis rats.Purinergic signalling · 2025Article
- Inflammatory pain and electroacupuncture: how the P2X3 receptor can help modulate inflammation-a review of current literature.Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.] · 2025Review
- Pediatric tuina treatment for spleen deficiency diarrhea regulated through the skin-brain-gut axis and mast cell degranulation.Journal of traditional and complementary medicine · 2025Article
- Fibroblasts as key cellular targets in acupuncture therapy: a mechanistic perspective.Frontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2025Review
- Efficacy of VG26 and K1 acupuncture points in cardiopulmonary resuscitation of neonatal puppies born by cesarean section.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
This review summarizes experimental evidence indicating that subcutaneous mast cells are involved in the trigger mechanism of analgesia induced by acupuncture, a traditional oriental therapy, which has gradually become accepted worldwide. The results are essentially based on work from our laboratories. Skin mast cells are present at a high density in acupuncture points where fine needles are inserted and manipulated during acupuncture intervention. Mast cells are sensitive to mechanical stimulation because they express multiple types of mechanosensitive channels, including TRPV1, TRPV2, TRPV4, receptors and chloride channels. Acupuncture manipulation generates force and torque that indirectly activate the mast cells via the collagen network. Subsequently, various mediators, for example, histamine, serotonin, adenosine triphosphate and adenosine, are released from activated mast cells to the interstitial space; they or their downstream products activate the corresponding receptors situated at local nerve terminals of sensory neurons in peripheral ganglia. The analgesic effects are thought to be generated via the reduced electrical activities of the primary sensory neurons. Alternatively, these neurons project such signals to pain-relevant regions in spinal cord and/or higher centers of the brain.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.