ReviewJournal of pain research2025
The Analgesic Effect of NLRP3 Inflammasome in the Relief of Inflammatory Pain by Electroacupuncture: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Animal Studies.
Review in Journal of pain research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Acupuncture as a potential host-directed therapeutic strategy in neuroinfectious diseases: a neuroimmune mechanistic perspective.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Acupuncture modulates the microbiota-gut-brain axis to treat irritable bowel syndrome: a mechanistic exploration.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2026Review
- From arthritis to central sensitization: targeting the neuro-immune axis via microglial modulation in acupuncture treatment for Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis-associated pain.Frontiers in immunology · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction: Inflammatory pain originates from the inflammatory response triggered by tissue injury, accompanied by the release of pro-inflammatory mediators. NLRP3 inflammasome, as a key innate immune receptor, plays a central role in inflammatory pain. Electroacupuncture (EA) is a commonly used analgesic method in clinical practice. Its anti-inflammatory mechanism involves regulating neural-immune interaction, regulating the balance of pro-inflammatory/anti-inflammatory cytokines, and inhibiting the NF-κB pathway. However, whether EA can alleviate inflammatory pain by specifically inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation and its downstream signaling pathways is still unclear. Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the analgesic effects of electroacupuncture on inflammatory pain, focusing on inflammatory cytokines and NLRP3-related signaling pathways to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Studies that meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected by searching PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases. To evaluate the quality of each included study using the modified 10-item checklist from the Collaboration for the Advancement of Meta-analysis in Animal Research. After extracting the relevant data, perform a meta-analysis using RevMan software. Results: A total of 10 studies were included. The results of the meta-analysis indicated that electroacupuncture treatment increased the heat pain threshold [-2.74 (95% CI -3.50 ~ -1.98)] and mechanical pain threshold [-2.89 (95% CI -3.59 ~ -2.20)]. Electroacupuncture reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-18, IL-6, IL-12, IL-17, TNF-α, and PGE2, and increased the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10. This study found that EA mainly regulated NLRP3 related signaling pathway through ROS, P2X7R and other pathways, thereby reducing the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome. Subgroup analysis of CFA-induced inflammatory pain showed that EA reduced inflammatory pain by regulating NLRP3 inflammasome. Conclusion: Electroacupuncture may alleviate inflammatory pain by modulating inflammatory cytokines and regulating the NLRP3 signaling pathway, which could help reduce the use of analgesic medications.
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