ArticleAnimal models and experimental medicine2026
Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell injection into the KI10 acupoint mitigates cartilage damage in KOA rats through PGE2-mediated α7nAChR/NF-κB pathway.
Article in Animal models and experimental medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundKnee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a chronic joint disorder. Current treatment options offer limited benefit. Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs), known for their chondrogenic potential and anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory functions, have gained growing interest in regenerative therapy. Acupoint interventions are widely recognized for analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Combining ADSCs with acupoint-targeted delivery may represent a novel therapeutic approach. This study evaluated the therapeutic efficacy and underlying mechanisms of ADSC injection into the KI10 acupoint in mitigating KOA-related cartilage damage.
methodsKOA models were established in male Sprague-Dawley rats, followed by ADSC injection into the KI10 acupoint. Pain, motor function, and joint structural changes were assessed through ethological testing, imaging, histopathology, transmission electron microscopy, and molecular analyses. TMT-based proteomics was used to identify mechanistic pathways, and the α7nAChR antagonist methyllycaconitine citrate (MLA) was used to validate the pathways.
resultsADSC injection into the KI10 acupoint significantly reduced pain and improved motor performance in KOA rats. Imaging and histological analysis revealed significant decreases in synovial inflammation and cartilage degeneration. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed diminished chondrocyte injury. Proteomic analysis indicated activation of the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, and MLA administration reversed these therapeutic benefits, verifying pathway involvement.
conclusionsADSC injection into the KI10 acupoint effectively attenuates cartilage injury and inflammation in KOA by activating the PGE2-mediated α7nAChR/NF-κB signaling pathway. This combined strategy harnesses the complementary advantages of stem cell therapy and acupoint-targeted intervention, offering a promising therapeutic avenue for KOA.
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.