ArticleJournal of pain research2026
Electroacupuncture Alleviates KOA-Induced Pain and Cartilage Degeneration via NGF/TrkA Pathway.
Article in Journal of pain research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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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.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Vitexin Alleviates Knee Osteoarthritis-Associated Cartilage Damage Associated with F3 Modulation.Genes · 2026Article
- Pain Modulation, Inflammation-Regulatory Mechanisms, and Translational Boundaries of Evidence for Acupuncture-Related Therapies in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Structured Narrative Review.Journal of pain research · 2026Review
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
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Abstract
Introduction: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a chronic degenerative joint disease marked by pain, cartilage degradation, and limited mobility. Existing treatments remain suboptimal due to limited efficacy and adverse effects, highlighting the urgent need for safer, mechanism-based therapies. Electroacupuncture (EA) has demonstrated clinical benefits in KOA, yet its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Methods: A KOA rat model was established via intra-articular injection of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA). EA was applied at Dubi (ST35) and Neixiyan (EX-LE5) acupoints. We assessed the effect of EA on nociceptive behavior in rats with KOA using von Frey filament testing, weight-bearing asymmetry measurements, and spontaneous pain assays. Cartilage degeneration was analyzed via toluidine blue staining, while immunofluorescence staining quantified protein expression levels in cartilage and dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Inhibitor and agonist injections were employed to evaluate the specific involvement of the NGF/TrkA pathway in EA-mediated effects. Results: EA significantly reduced mechanical allodynia ( Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that EA alleviates KOA, possibly via inhibiting NGF/TrkA pathway activation in knee joints and reducing TrkA expression in CGRP
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