SynthesisFrontiers in neurology2025
Acupuncture improves blood-brain barrier integrity through multi-targeted mechanisms: a preclinical meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Frontiers in neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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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
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Acupuncture for Post-Stroke Cognitive Impairment: Mechanisms and Clinical Evidence (2020-2025).Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2026Review
- Acupuncture as a potential host-directed therapeutic strategy in neuroinfectious diseases: a neuroimmune mechanistic perspective.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: The objective of this study is to assess the impact of acupuncture regarding Blood-Brain barrier (BBB) permeability and provide a data foundation for clinical practice. Methods: A database search was carried out in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science to collect controlled animal experiments that investigated the impact of acupuncture on BBB permeability. BBB permeability was primarily assessed by indicators such as Evans Blue (EB) extravasation. The SYRCLE risk-of-bias tool was utilized to assess the quality of the comprised studies, and statistical software was employed for data evaluation. For continuous outcomes, a random-effects model was used to calculate pooled standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), and heterogeneity was quantified using the Results: Thirty-two papers were incorporated. Outcomes from the meta-analysis showed that acupuncture significantly reduced the EB leakage in brain tissue (SMD = -0.65, 95% CI [-0.94, -0.37], Conclusion: acupuncture may improve BBB integrity by means of multiple mechanisms, including the enhancement of tight junction protein production in endothelial cells, inhibiting MMP-9 mediated extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation, modulating glial cell activation and inflammatory responses, and downregulating AQP4-dependent edema. Systematic review registration: https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2025-2-0102/, identifier: INPLASY202520102.
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Registered trials
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