Therapeutic Effects of Acupuncture through Enhancement of Functional Angiogenesis and Granulogenesis in Rat Wound Healing

Abstract

Acupuncture regulates inflammation process and growth factors by increasing blood circulation in affected areas. In this study, we examined whether acupuncture has an effect on wound healing in injured rat. Rats were assigned randomly into two groups: control group and acupuncture group. Acupuncture treatment was carried out at 8 sites around the wounded area. We analyzed the wound area, inflammatory cytokines, proliferation of resident cells, and angiogenesis and induction of extracelluar matrix remodeling. At 7 days after-wounding the wound size in acupuncture-treat group was decreased more significantly compared to control group. In addition, the protein levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were significantly decreased compared to the control at 2 and 7 days post-wounding. Also, we analyzed newly generated cells by performing immunostaining for PCNA and using several phenotype markers such as CD-31, α-SMA, and collagen type I. In acupuncture-treated group, PCNA-positive cell was increased and PCNA labeled CD-31-positive vessels, α-SMA- and collagen type I-positive fibroblastic cells, were increased compared to the control group at 7 days post-wounding. These results suggest that acupuncture may improve wound healing through decreasing pro-inflammatory response, increasing cell proliferation and angiogenesis, and inducing extracellular matrix remodeling.

Skin Wound Healing and Phytomedicine: A Review

“…Epithelialization involves keratinocytes by migration and proliferation from the wound edges and by differentiation of stem cells from the remaining hair follicle bulbs [7]. Epithelialization is helped by EGF, keratinocyte growth factors and TGF-α [5].…”

“…Angiogenesis is triggered by migration, proliferation, alignment and tube formation of endothelial cells sprouting from the parent vessel to other vessels. The process of angiogenesis is related to the expression of angiogenic factors such as VEGF and PDGF [7]. In remodeling, inflammatory cells leave and fibroblasts continue to synthesize collagen bundles and further covalent cross-linking of collagen molecules [5].…”

The Time Course Effects of Electroacupuncture on Promoting Skeletal Muscle Regeneration and Inhibiting Excessive Fibrosis after Contusion in Rabbits

“…EA shows a better curative effect and a wider range of applications than traditional acupuncture in some aspects [19, 20]. Recently, studies reported that acupuncture has positive influences on wound healing [21, 22] and functional peripheral nerve regeneration [23]. Using mRNA fingerprinting and bioinformatics approaches, Takaoka et al [24] revealed that EA could promote cell proliferation in skeletal muscles leading to muscle repair.…”

Effectiveness of combined laser-puncture and conventional wound care to accelerate diabetic foot ulcer healing

“…In addition, there is supression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) production and increase in production of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). 6,28,29 The production of nNOS and eNOS has a positive role in NO production, which causes vasodilatation and increases blood circulation that may lead to acceleration of wound healing. 6 The limitations of our study were the absence of biomarker examination that can support patophysiology and mechanism of action of the acupuncture.…”