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Protective Mechanism of Electroacupuncture on Peripheral Neurotoxicity Induced by Oxaliplatin in Rats

  • Acupuncture Research
  • Published:
Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To study the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OIPN) in rats.

Methods

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were equally divided into 3 groups using a random number table: the control group, the OIPN group, and the EA (OIPN + EA) group, with 10 rats in each. The time courses of mechanical, cold sensitivity, and microcirculation blood flow intensity were determined. The morphology of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) was observed by electron microscopic examination. The protein levels of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and the transient receptor potential (TRP) protein family in DRGs were assayed by Western blot.

Results

EA treatment significantly reduced mechanical allodynia and cold allodynia in OIPN rats (P<0.01). Notably, oxaliplatin treatment resulted in impaired microcirculatory blood flow and pathomorphological defects in DRGs (P<0.01). EA treatment increased the microcirculation blood flow and attenuated the pathological changes induced by oxaliplatin (P<0.01). In addition, the expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 were down-regulated, and the TRP protein family was over-expressed in the DRGs of OIPN rats (P<0.01). EA increased the expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 and decreased the level of TRP protein family in DRG (P<0.05 or P<0.01).

Conclusion

EA may be a potential alternative therapy for OIPN, and its mechanism may be mainly mediated by restoring the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Acumox and Tuina, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China

    Feng-jiao Wang, She Shi, Shen-dong Fan & Zi-yong Ju

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200120, China

    Yong-qiang Wang

  3. Acupuncture Anesthesia Clinical Research Institute, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200437, China

    Ke Wang, Ya-nan Zhang & Chen-chen Feng

Authors
  1. Feng-jiao Wang
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  4. Ke Wang
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  6. Ya-nan Zhang
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  7. Chen-chen Feng
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Contributions

All authors contributed to data analysis, drafting or revising the article, gave final approval of the version to be published, and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work. Ju ZY and Wang K conceived and designed the experiments. Shi S, Wang FJ, Fan SD, Zhang YN and Feng CC performed the tests. Wang YQ, Wang FJ, and Shi S analyzed the results. Wang FJ wrote the paper. All authors read and approved the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zi-yong Ju.

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Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81874506) and the Shanghai Clinical Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion (No. 20MC1920500)

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Wang, Fj., Shi, S., Wang, Yq. et al. Protective Mechanism of Electroacupuncture on Peripheral Neurotoxicity Induced by Oxaliplatin in Rats. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 28, 833–839 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-022-2896-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-022-2896-1

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