Electroacupuncture Affects Microglial Activation and Subsequently Improves Postherpetic Neuralgia via HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB Signaling Pathway
10.3870/j.issn.1672-0741.24.10.007
- VernacularTitle:电针调控HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB信号通路影响小胶质细胞活化进而改善带状疱疹后遗神经痛
- Author:
Huan XIN
1
;
Jing ZOU
1
;
Wei LE
1
Author Information
1. 华中科技大学同济医学院附属武汉市中西医结合医院(武汉市第一医院)针灸科,武汉 430022
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
high mobility group box 1/Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-κB;
electroacupuncture;
microglia activation;
postherpetic neuralgia
- From:
Acta Medicinae Universitatis Scientiae et Technologiae Huazhong
2025;54(2):159-165
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To explore the mechanism by which electroacupuncture(EA)improves postherpetic neuralgia(PHN)by affecting the activation of microglia through the high mobility group box 1(HMGB1)/Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB)signaling pathway.Methods Fifty SPF-grade SD rats were divided into the following groups:control(Vehicle)group,model(RTX)group,sham electroacupuncture(Sham-EA)group,electroacupuncture(EA)group,and electroacu-puncture+pathway inhibitor(EA+Gly)group.Behavioral tests in rats were conducted using mechanical withdrawal threshold testing,hot foot reflex latency testing,and tilt board testing.Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining was used to detect pathological morphological changes in the spinal dorsal horn tissue.TUNEL assay was used to detect cell apoptosis in the spinal dorsal horn tissue.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)was used to detect the levels of pain-sensitive substances:prostaglandin E2(PGE2),substance P(SP),neurokinin 1(NK-1),and inflammatory factors:interleukin-6(IL-6),interleukin-1β(IL-1β),tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α).Immunofluorescence was used to detect the expression of Iba1.Western blot was used to detect the expression of proteins involved in the HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB pathway.Results Compared with Vehicle group,RTX group showed decreased mechanical withdrawal threshold,shortened hot foot reflex latency,reduced angle of balance on the tilt board,structural damage,disordered arrangement of nerve fibers,inflammatory cell infiltration,increased cell apoptosis rate,increased activation of microglia,and increased levels of PGE2,SP,NK-1,IL-6,IL-1β,TNF-α in the spinal dorsal horn tissue,with upregu-lated expression of HMGB1,TLR4,NF-κB p65 proteins(all P＜0.01).Compared with RTX group,no significant difference was observed in Sham-EA group(P＞0.05),while EA group showed increased mechanical withdrawal threshold,prolonged hot foot reflex latency,increased angle of balance on the tilt board,relieved morphological damage of nerve cells,more orderly arrangement,reduced in-flammatory cell infiltration,reduced cell apoptosis rate,reduced activation of microglia,and decreased levels of PGE2,SP,NK-1,IL-6,IL-1β,TNF-α in the spinal dorsal horn tissue,with downregulated expression of HMGB1,TLR4,NF-κB p65 proteins(all P＜0.01).Com-pared with EA group,EA+Gly group showed increased mechanical withdrawal threshold,prolonged hot foot reflex latency,increased angle of balance on the tilt board,reduced degree of morphological damage and disorder of nerve cells,reduced cell apoptosis rate,re-duced activation of microglia,and decreased levels of PGE2,SP,NK-1,IL-6,IL-1β,TNF-α in the spinal dorsal horn tissue,with down-regulated expression of HMGB1,TLR4,NF-κB p65 proteins(all P＜0.05).Conclusion EA exerts its therapeutic effect on PHN by in-hibition of HMGB1/TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway and activation of microglia.
