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The NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 inflammasome in the mechanism of electroacupuncture: Current status and future perspectives

Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 2022 · DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.913881 · Published: October 19, 2022

Alternative MedicineNeurologyGenetics

Simple Explanation

Electroacupuncture is a widely used alternative medicine treatment, but its mechanism of action is not fully understood. The NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is closely associated with Alzheimer’s disease, spinal cord injury, and other diseases and plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of human immune system diseases. Some scholars have found that the NLRP3 inflammasome is a part of the mechanism of action of electroacupuncture, which has attracted further attention.

Study Duration
Not specified
Participants
Based on existing randomized controlled trials or clinical trials
Evidence Level
Review

Key Findings

  • 1
    Electroacupuncture can alleviate diseases by targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome.
  • 2
    Electroacupuncture reduces inflammation and symptoms by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation and the secretion of proinflammatory factors, such as IL-1β.
  • 3
    The mechanism by which electroacupuncture targets the NLRP3 inflammasome in the treatment of diseases may involve the downregulation of NLRP3 inflammasome expression and inhibition of the inflammatory response.

Research Summary

The authors found that the NLRP3 inflammasome plays an important role in the treatment of some diseases by electroacupuncture. The main mechanism is that electroacupuncture reduces the inflammatory response through the NLRP3 inflammasome. The existing studies focus on animal experiments, and we should also pay attention to clinical trials in the future.

Practical Implications

Clinical Practice

Electroacupuncture can be considered as a treatment option in a wide range of clinical practices, especially when drug intervention has large adverse reactions or the single treatment effect is not significant.

Further Research

Advanced technologies such as high-throughput sequencing and single-cell sequencing can be used to extract clinical samples for further mechanism research.

Protocol Optimization

Unify electroacupuncture treatment protocols in future studies to observe whether there is a difference in the effects of different experimental protocols on the expression of the NLRP3 inflammasome.

Study Limitations

  • 1
    Existing studies focus on animal experiments, with limited clinical trials.
  • 2
    Heterogeneity in electroacupuncture protocols (acupoints, frequency, duration) makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions.
  • 3
    The internal mechanism of action by which pathway to inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation or expression is not complete, and further research is needed.

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