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

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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