Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41514473›Full record

ArticleChinese medicine2026

Electroacupuncture ameliorates incisional pain via suppressing IL-33 signaling-related macrophage infiltration and ROS overproduction in incised skin.

Ruoyao Xu, Kaige Zheng, Yushuang Pan, Peiyi Li, Muyan Chen, Huimin Nie, Boyu Liu, Yan Tai, Xiaofen He, Junying Du and 3 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Chinese medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Ruoyao Xu *Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Kaige Zheng *Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Yushuang Pan *Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Peiyi LiDepartment of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Muyan ChenDepartment of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Huimin NieDepartment of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Boyu LiuDepartment of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Yan TaiAcademy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Xiaofen HeDepartment of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Junying DuDepartment of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Jianqiao FangDepartment of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China. fangjianqiao7532@163.com.
Guihua TianDepartment of Chinese Medicine, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. rosetgh@163.com.
Boyi LiuDepartment of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China. boyi.liu@foxmail.com.

Funding

National High Level Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital Clinical Research Funding DZMG-XZYY-23001National Key R&D Program of China 2022YFC3500604National Natural Science Foundation of China 82305369National Natural Science Foundation of China 82474625Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Funds LZ23H270001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPostoperative pain develops after surgical operation. Inadequately managed postoperative pain is oftentimes associated with deterioration in life quality and delayed rehabilitation. Clinical studies confirmed analgesic effects of acupuncture on patients with postoperative pain. We hereby explored mechanisms underlying how acupuncture alleviates postoperative pain.

methodsA mouse model of skin incision-induced pain was established to mimic postoperative pain condition. Electroacupuncture (EA) or sham EA was administered at ST36 and BL60 acupoints in model mice. A combination of RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq), immunostaining, biochemical assay, in vivo imaging and behavioral test were applied for mechanism investigations.

results2/100 Hz EA intervention ameliorated mechanical allodynia and improved cumulative pain of incisional pain model mice. Sham EA exerted no obvious analgesic effect. Incisional pain model mice develop gait impairment, which was improved by EA intervention. RNA-Seq identified EA significantly reduced Il33 gene overexpression in the incised skin tissues of model mice. IL-33 was produced from keratinocytes upon skin incision. EA reduced IL-33 overproduction from keratinocytes, resulting in less macrophage infiltration and less ROS accumulation in the incised skin. Adoptive transfer of macrophages into the incised tissue abrogated the ameliorative effects of EA on macrophage infiltration as well as ROS accumulation in incised skin and further reversed EA-induced analgesia on incisional pain model mice. Additionally, EA intervention did not affect skin wound healing process.

conclusionThese results demonstrate that EA ameliorates incisional pain via suppressing IL-33 overproduction in incised skin tissue. EA-induced suppression of IL-33 overproduction results in less macrophage infiltration and ROS accumulation that contribute to analgesia. Our work helps to support EA as an alternative and green therapy for postoperative pain management.

Indexed as

AcupunctureIL-33Incisional painMacrophageROS

Identifiers

PMID41514473
PMCPMC12784544

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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.