Electro-acupuncture-induced neuroprotection is associated with activation of the IGF-1/PI3K/Akt pathway following adjacent dorsal root ganglionectomies in rats
This paper shows that acupuncture triggers IGF-1, a gene linked with longevity. Here it is involved in neuroplasticity following dorsal root ganglionectomies. Difficult to know if we can extrapolate to longevity genes in humans. Int J Mol Med. 2019 Feb; 43(2): 807–820. Published online 2018 Dec 18. doi: 10.3892/ijmm.2018.4035 PMCID: PMC6317683 PMID: 30569108 Electro-acupuncture-induced neuroprotection is…
Read MoreEffect of Acupuncture on the p38 Signaling Pathway in Several Nervous System Diseases: A Systematic Review
As part of the writing project I’m doing, I’m taking a deep dive into the molecular, biochemical processes set in motion by acupuncture. This is part of that effort. Int J Mol Sci . 2020 Jun 30;21(13):E4693. doi: 10.3390/ijms21134693. Effect of Acupuncture on the p38 Signaling Pathway in Several Nervous System Diseases: A Systematic Review…
Read MoreAnti-Aging Implications of Astragalus Membranaceus (Huangqi): A Well-Known Chinese Tonic
I take Astragalus every day and so do many of my patients. This article is a good rundown of the health benefits. Anti-Aging Implications of Astragalus Membranaceus (Huangqi): A Well-Known Chinese Tonic Ping Liu,1 Haiping Zhao,1,# and Yumin Luo1,2,3,* Author information Article notes Copyright and License information Disclaimer This article has been cited by other…
Read MoreElectroacupuncture: A Feasible Sirt1 Promoter Which Modulates Metainflammation in Diet-Induced Obesity Rats
I’ve never heard the term “metainflammation” before, but I understand the concept. It refers to the global low-grade inflammation that can lead to so many issues, from heart disease, to cancer to cognitive decline. Sirt1 is a target of anti-aging research so I like to flag articles concerning Sirt1. Article here Evid Based Complement Alternat…
Read MoreSignal Transduction Pathways of Acupuncture for Treating Some Nervous System Diseases
This article is a fantastic resource that looks at the nitty gritty of multiple signaling pathways. This is important because these pathways are the focus of research and pharmaceuticals companies to target these pathways for immune functions, inflammation, and anti-aging. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2019; 2019: 2909632. Published online 2019 Jul 11. doi: 10.1155/2019/2909632 PMCID: PMC6657648 PMID: 31379957…
Read MoreToward the Existence of a Sympathetic Neuroplasticity Adaptive Mechanism Influencing the Immune Response. A Hypothetical View—Part I and II
I monitor autonomic activity in the clinic during acupuncture treatment. I use heart rate variability (HRV) and concentrate mostly on vagal activity or parasympathetic activity. But I’ve been impressed with the strength of the correlation of sympathetic activity with treatment, usually decreasing, with acupuncture and TAVNS also. I wasn’t aware that there was a…
Read MoreInflammation IL-6 , Electroacupuncture and HRV
This study, though older, is important because it connects the dots between vagal activity, pro-inflammatory cytokines (Il-6), and gastric emptying. It would be quite expensive to do this study in a human controlled trial. This is where these animal models are so useful to expand our thinking on how acupuncture works. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23848593 Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2013…
Read MoreThe Sleep and Immunity: Crosstalk in Health and Disease
All of our systems are interrelated. This article looks in depth at the effect of sleep on the immune system. Very topical during or surviving from a pandemic! Sleep can affect how sick you get if infected, whether you get infected, and how well your immunization works for you. More on the topic of sleep…
Read MoreElectroacupuncture improves gut barrier dysfunction in prolonged hemorrhagic shock rats through vagus anti-inflammatory mechanism
The most important novel findings from this study are that when delayed resuscitation is inevitable during emergency situations such as hemorrhagic shock occurring in war without sufficient fluids, electroacupuncture at ST36 can be performed and it can successfully attenuate systemic inflammation, decrease gut injury and permeability and improve blood pressure and outcomes, which is consistent…
Read MoreReduced tactile acuity in chronic low back pain is linked with structural neuroplasticity in primary somatosensory cortex and is modulated by acupuncture therapy
This new article by friend of blog Vitaly Napadow shows improved tactile acuity after treatment with acupuncture for Low Back Pain. This is significant because “Previous neuroimaging studies have shown that other chronic pain disorders also demonstrate altered brain structure in S1, as well as other pain-related brain areas (As-Sanie et al., 2012, Kong et al.,…
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