A recent study, by Dr. Ulloa and colleagues of Rutgers New
Jersey Medical School, published by the journal Nature Medicine (only research
works of the highest quality got published there) reported that
electroacupuncture may reduce inflammation that causes sepsis death. Sepsis, a
condition that often develops in hospital intensive care units, is
characterised by overwhelming inflammatory responses and infections. Although antibiotics
are efficient in controlling infection, inflammation is not properly treated in
sepsis. Sepsis causes the death of over 250,000 patients each year in the
United States.
The study carried out on sepsis model showed that signals of
electroacupuncture stimulation at Zusanli (ST36) passed through sciatic nerve
to vagal nerve, then to adrenal glands. Electroacupuncture markedly increased
the levels of aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase, a lyase enzyme, catalyzing levodopa
to dopamine. Dopamine acts on dopamine D1 receptors to inhibit pro-inflammatory
multiple cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor, reducing inflammation. The authors
found that when electroacupuncture was applied to mice with sepsis, cytokines
were reduced in the serum and half of mice survived for at least 7 days. No survival
was found among mice that did not receive acupuncture.
This study demonstrated one of strongest scientific evidence
of acupuncture‘s value beyond any that has been shown before. The study also
confirmed results of other reports that acupuncture is effective at modulating
immune system and inhibit inflammatory response. These benefit not just for
sepsis, but for treating other inflammatory-related disorders such as
osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.
Reference:
Torres-Rosas R et al., Dopamine mediates vagal
modulation of the immune system by electroacupuncture. Nat Med. 2014
Mar;20(3):291-5. doi: 10.1038/nm.3479. http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v20/n3/full/nm.3479.html
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