ArticleBrain and behavior2022
Direct moxibustion exerts an analgesic effect on cervical spondylotic radiculopathy by increasing autophagy via the Act A/Smads signaling pathway.
Article in Brain and behavior, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- Needle-warming moxibustion alleviates pain in rats with cervical spondylotic radiculopathy by modulating the NF-κB/ROS/NLRP3 pathway.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2026Article
- The Mechanism of Acupuncture Regulating Autophagy: Progress and Prospect.Biomolecules · 2025Review
- A narrative review of autophagy in migraine.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2025Review
- Electroacupuncture Attenuates Neuropathic Pain in a Rat Model of Cervical Spondylotic Radiculopathy: Involvement of Spinal Cord Synaptic Plasticity.Journal of pain research · 2023Article
- The effects of modified Guizhi plus Gegen decoction combined with the blade needle therapy on TCM syndromes, cervical curvature and levels of inflammatory factors in patients with cervical spondylotic radiculopathy.American journal of translational research · 2023Article
- Direct moxibustion exerts an analgesic effect on cervical spondylotic radiculopathy by increasing autophagy via the Act A/Smads signaling pathway.Brain and behavior · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDirect moxibustion (DM) is reported to be useful for cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR), but the analgesic mechanism remains unknown. Autophagy plays a protective role in neuronal apoptosis, Act A/Smads signaling pathway has been confirmed to be associated with the activation of autophagy. The study aimed to explore the effect of DM on autophagy in rats with CSR and the involvement of Act A/Smads signaling pathway.
methodsRats were randomly divided into Sham, CSR, CSR + DM, CSR + DM + 3-MA (PI3K inhibitor), and CSR + DM + SB (Act A inhibitor) group. Three days after establishment of CSR model with a fish line inserted under the axilla of the nerve roots, DM at Dazhui (GV14) was performed six times once for seven consecutive days. Western blot and immunofluorescence staining were used to observe the expression of the neuronal autophagy molecule LC3II/I, Atg7, and Act A/Smads signaling molecule Act A, p-Smad2, and p-Smad3. Bcl-2/Bax mRNA expression was measured by real time PCR.
resultsDM improved the pain threshold and motor function of CSR rats and promoted the expression of Act A, p-Smad2, p-Smad3, LC3II/I, and Atg7 in the entrapped-nerve root spinal dorsal horn. DM reduced the expression of Bax mRNA and decreased the number of apoptotic neurons. 3-MA and Act A inhibitor SB suppressed the expression of above-mentioned proteins and reduced the protective effect of DM on apoptotic neurons.
conclusionDM exerts analgesic effects by regulating the autophagy to reduce cell apoptosis and repair nerve injury, and this feature may be related to the Act A/Smads signaling pathway.
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