Electroacupuncture Relieves HuR/KLF9-Mediated Inflammation to Enhance Neurological Repair after Spinal Cord Injury

Electroacupuncture (EA) is a potential treatment for spinal cord injury (SCI), but how it works is not fully understood. This study explores the molecular mechanisms behind EA's benefits in SCI. The study found that EA helps improve nerve function recovery in SCI rats by reducing neuron death and inflammation. EA appears to lower the levels of a protein called HuR, which can bind to and stabilize KLF9 mRNA. By using a HuR inhibitor, the study showed that blocking HuR enhances the positive effects of EA on pain thresholds and motor function in SCI rats, suggesting a key role for the HuR/KLF9 pathway in EA's therapeutic action.

• 1
  EA facilitates the recovery of neuronal function in SCI rats by reducing apoptosis and inflammation of neurons.
• 2
  EA significantly diminished the SCI-mediated upregulation of HuR, and HuR could bind to the 39 untranslated region of KLF9 mRNA to protect its decay.
• 3
  CMLD-2 administration increased EA-mediated pain thresholds and motor function in SCI rats.