Glial cell：Role of the pain modulation in acupuncture analgesia
胶质细胞：在针刺镇痛中的角色

Mi YUAN（袁咪），Lan YUAN（袁澜），Wei CHEN（陈蔚）, Yang-shuai SU（宿杨帅）, Meng-Yan FAN（范孟妍）， Xiang-hong JING （景向红）, Wei HE（何伟）, Xiao-yu WANG（王晓宇）

Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China（中国中医科学院针灸研究所，北京100700，中国）

Abstract

The significance of glial cells in the nervous system, particularly in the modulation of pain, has increasingly gained prominence, thereby shifting the traditional neurobiological research paradigm that predominantly focused on neurons. Acupuncture treatment have been shown to influence the functionality of glial cells, enabling them to serve as modulators that significantly contribute to the inhibition of neurogenic inflammation, the restoration of synaptic homeostasis, and the enhancement of the pain modulation system. Furthermore, various molecules and their associated signaling pathways facilitate the biological effects of glial cells in the context of acupuncture-induced analgesia. Notably, P2X receptors (P2X3, P2X4, and P2X7), the MAPK pathway (including p38MAPK and ERK), and the JAK/STAT pathway within glial cells are implicated in the modulation of neuroinflammation and pain regulation through acupuncture. These elucidated mechanisms underscore the potential of acupuncture to modulate neuroimmune signaling for pain alleviation and suggest the prospect of developing more targeted and effective treatments for chronic pain in the future.

【摘要】

胶质细胞在疼痛调控中的作用逐渐凸显，改变了过去以神经元为核心的神经生物学研究模式。针刺干预改变了胶质细胞功能，使得胶质细胞可以作为一个调制者在抑制神经源性炎症、恢复突触稳态和增强痛觉调控系统功能中发挥重要的作用。此外，各种分子及其相关的信号通路在针灸诱导的镇痛背景下促进了胶质细胞的生物效应。具体而言，胶质细胞内的P2X受体（P2X3、P2X4、P2X7）、MAPK通路（包括p38MAPK和ERK)以及JAK/STAT通路参与了通过针灸干预调节神经炎症和疼痛调控。这些已建立的机制强调了针刺在调节神经免疫信号以减轻疼痛方面的可能性，在未来有可能开发出更有针对性和有效的慢性疼痛治疗方法。