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Itch and the Antipruritic Effect of Acupuncture

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Advanced Acupuncture Research: From Bench to Bedside

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Abstract

Itch is a common sensory experience that causes a desire to scratch; however, chronic itch, which is prevalent in some patients with skin disease or systemic and neuropathic conditions, is clinically challenging. Indeed, therapeutics that specifically target chronic itch are not yet available. Acupuncture has been suggested as an option for alleviating itch. Although the effectiveness and antipruritic mechanisms of acupuncture in itch relief have been investigated over recent years, research on the effects is contradictory, and the underlying mechanism by which the effects of itch are reduced remains unclear. Here we summarize the recent progress made on revealing the molecular, neural, and immune mechanisms of itch, and we review the clinical and nonclinical studies on the efficacy and mechanism of the antipruritic effect of acupuncture.

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Abbreviations

5-HT:

5-hydroxytryptamine

ACD:

Allergic contact dermatitis

AD:

Atopic dermatitis

B5-I:

Bhlhb5+ interneurons

BAM8–22:

Bovine adrenal medulla 8–22 peptide

CGRP:

Calcitonin gene-related peptide

CQ:

Chloroquine

CSU:

Chronic spontaneous urticaria

DMS :

Dorsal medial striatum

DRG:

Dorsal root ganglion

EASI:

Eczema area and severity index

ESRD:

End-stage renal disease

fMRI:

Functional magnetic resonance imaging

GRP:

Gastrin-releasing peptide

H1R:

Histamine-1 receptor

i.t. :

Intrathecal injection

IC:

Insular cortex

IL-31:

Interleukin-31

LCN2 :

Lipocalin-2

MOR:

μ-opioid receptor

Mrgprs:

Mas-related G protein-coupled receptors

NAc:

Nucleus accumbens

NKA:

Neurokinin A

NMB:

Neuromedin B

nNOS:

Neuronal nitric oxide synthase

NPPB:

Neuropeptide natriuretic polypeptide b

NPR1:

Natriuretic peptide receptor 1

NPY:

Neuropeptide Y

NRM:

Nucleus raphe magnus

NRS :

Numeric rate scales

OSMRβ:

Oncostatin-M receptor β

PAG:

Periaqueductal gray

PBN:

Parabrachial nucleus

pIC:

Posterior insular cortex

PV :

Parvalbumin

RVM:

Rostral ventromedial medulla

S1:

Primary somatosensory cortex

S2:

Secondary somatosensory cortex

SCN:

Suprachiasmatic nucleus

SDH:

Spinal dorsal horn

SOM:

Somatostatin

STT :

Spinothalamic tract

TCM:

Traditional Chinese medicine

TLR5 :

Toll-like receptor 5

TNFR1 :

TNF receptor 1

TNFR2:

TNF receptor 2

TNF-α :

Tumor necrosis factor alpha

TRP:

Transient receptor potential

TSLP:

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin

UP:

Uremic pruritus

VAS:

Visual analog scales

VIP:

Vasoactive intestinal peptide

VTA:

Ventral tegmental area

EA:

Electroacupuncture

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Acknowledgments

Ministry of Science and Technology China Brain Initiative Grant (2022ZD0204704), National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFB0403803), Shanghai Sailing Program (21YF1447500), Innovative research team of high-level local universities in Shanghai, Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Major Project (2018SHZDZX01), ZJ Lab, Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology. We thank Enago (http://www.enago.com/) for the English language review.

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  1. Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

    Wenli Mi

  2. Shanghai Key Laboratory of Acupuncture Mechanism and Acupoint Function, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

    Wenli Mi

  3. School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China

    Lixia Du

  4. Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, Institute of Acupuncture Research, Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

    Yayue Yang

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  1. Shanghai Key Laboratory of Acupuncture Mechanism and Acupoint Function, Fudan University, Shanghai, China

    Ying **a

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Mi, W., Du, L., Yang, Y. (2022). Itch and the Antipruritic Effect of Acupuncture. In: **a, Y. (eds) Advanced Acupuncture Research: From Bench to Bedside. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-96221-0_18

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