Electroacupuncture Inhibits NLRP3 Activation by Regulating CMPK2 After Spinal Cord Injury

This study investigates how electroacupuncture (EA) affects inflammation after spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. It focuses on two molecules: CMPK2 and NLRP3. The researchers found that SCI increases both CMPK2 and NLRP3, which are involved in inflammation. Electroacupuncture, a form of acupuncture that uses electrical stimulation, was found to reduce the levels of CMPK2 and NLRP3. This reduction in CMPK2 and NLRP3 was associated with improved motor function in the rats with SCI. The study suggests that EA's beneficial effects on SCI recovery may be due to its ability to regulate CMPK2, which in turn inhibits the activation of NLRP3, thus reducing inflammation and promoting motor function recovery.

• 1
  Spinal cord injury significantly increased the expression levels of both NLRP3 and CMPK2 in the spinal cords of rats.
• 2
  Electroacupuncture treatment and AAV CMPK2 (gene knockdown) both resulted in significantly increased BBB scores, indicating improved motor function, compared to the model group.
• 3
  Both electroacupuncture and AAV CMPK2 treatment significantly reduced the expression levels of CMPK2, NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, IL-18, and IL-1b in the spinal cords of SCI rats.