The Modulatory Effect of Acupuncture on the Activity of Locus Coeruleus Neuronal Cells: A Review

Abstract

The Locus Coeruleus (LC) is a small collection of noradrenergic neurons located in the pons. In the brain, noradrenaline (NE) is primarily produced by noradrenergic cell groups in the LC, which is the largest group of noradrenergic neurons in the central nervous system. Acupuncture, including the electroacupuncture which is a modified acupuncture method, is known to be effective in various kinds of diseases, and the involvement of noradrenergic system in the central nervous system has been reported by previous studies. However, on whether acupuncture can modulate the LC neuronal cells activities, results vary from studies to studies. In this paper, we included twelve articles, which observed the effect of acupuncture on the activities of LC in humans and animals. Our study shows that, among twelve included studies, six reported decrease of LC activities, whereas six showed increase of LC activities after acupuncture treatment. Although it is difficult to draw a firm conclusion, the authors suggest that the difference of frequencies may play an important role in the modulatory effect of acupuncture on LC. Further studies are needed to clarify the precise mechanism of acupuncture on LC, as it can lead to a new therapeutic method for various LC-NE related diseases.

The increased functional connectivity between the locus coeruleus and supramarginal gyrus in insomnia disorder with acupuncture modulation

“…In insomniacs, the FC of LC increased in areas of the sensory cortex and default mode network (DMN) while decreased in the prefrontal cortex ( Gong et al, 2021 ). Acupuncture has been shown to regulate the electrophysiology of LC in rat models of insomnia ( Lee and Kim, 2017 ). We hypothesize that regulating the functional activity of LC may be one of the mechanisms for acupuncture to improve sleep.…”

The efficacy and safety of acupuncture in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

“…[ 15 ] Techniques include electroacupuncture (EA), (mild electric stimulation of acupuncture needles), manual acupuncture (MA) (acupuncture stimulation by hand), and thread embedding therapy (TET) (stimulation by inserting a thread into meridian points). [ 16 ]…”

“…The selection of acupoints or treatment frequency may vary from person to person according to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine [15] . Techniques include electroacupuncture (EA), (mild electric stimulation of acupuncture needles), manual acupuncture (MA) (acupuncture stimulation by hand), and thread embedding therapy (TET) (stimulation by inserting a thread into meridian points) [16] …”

Acupuncture Treatment for Chronic Pelvic Pain in Women: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

“…Acupuncture used in combination with modern technology, for example, electroacupuncture (EA), delivers electrical current through acupuncture, and acupoint thread-embedding therapy (TET) maximizes stimulation by inserting thread into meridian points [ 10 ].…”