Electroacupuncture Upregulates HIF-1α and SOX9 Expression in Knee Osteoarthritis

Abstract

Electroacupuncture (EA) has been clinically used in knee osteoarthritis broadly and proved to be effective than other therapies with fewer side effects; however, the mechanism of electroacupuncture to work on cartilage remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of EA treatment on cartilage and the relationship between EA and proteins such as HIF-a and SOX9. EA (dilatational wave, 3–15 HZ, 1 mA) has been applied to bilateral Zusanli (ST36), Xuehai (SP10), Taixi (KI3), and Yanglingquan (GB34) of rats. Results showed that the cartilage of the knee osteoarthritis group had obvious damage and fissure formation while the EA group showed that the cartilage destruction was generally milder. In addition, the protein expression levels of HIF-1α, and chondrogenic markers such as Sox9, and ACAN in the electroacupuncture group were higher than those in the ACLT group. Also, the extracellular matrix protein expression levels of MMP13 and ADAMTS5 were decreased in the EA group. These findings indicate that EA could alleviate the severity of knee osteoarthritis, and HIF-a and SOX9 may closely attribute to the treatment.

Overview of distinct N6-Methyladenosine profiles of messenger RNA in osteoarthritis

“…SOX9 is a critical transcription factor and master regulator in chondrogenesis ( Song and Park, 2020 ), promoting the expression of ECM protein during chondrogenic differentiation ( Yang et al, 2022 ). Elevated expression of SOX9 could alleviate the severity of OA, making it a promising therapeutic target in OA ( Tong et al, 2021 ). Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms regulating SOX9 expression are still largely unknown.…”

Shared nociceptive dorsal root ganglion neurons participating in acupoint sensitization

“…At the same time, in the treatment of different diseases, some acupoints are often stimulated to receive better curative effects than others, so these acupoints are more favored. Acupoints such as ST36 (Zusanli) and EX-LE5 (Xiyan) were usually used in the treatments of knee osteoarthritis ( Ma et al, 2018 ; Tong et al, 2021 ; Tian et al, 2022 ; Wei et al, 2022 ). To relieve diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome, ST36 and ST37 (Shangjuxu) were chosen with the highest frequency during the moxibustion treatments ( Wang et al, 2018 ; Bao et al, 2019 ; Dai et al, 2022 ).…”