Effectiveness of acupuncture in migraine rats: A systematic review

ObjectiveTo systematically evaluate the effectiveness and potential underlying mechanisms of acupuncture in the treatment of experimental model of migraine in rats. MethodsNine electronic databases, including CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), WanFang, VIP (Chinese Scientific Journals Database), Sinomed, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and EBSCO, were searched for randomized experimental studies on migraine in rats involving acupuncture intervention. The search period ranged from inception to June 2022. The methodological quality was assessed using the SYRCLE's risk of bias tool for animal studies. Data were analyzed using the Revman 5.3 software. ResultsA total of 13 studies were included in this analysis. Findings from the available experimental studies documented that acupuncture significantly reduced behavior scores of rats with migraine (MD = -15.01, 95%CI = [-18.01, -12.01], P<0.00001) and downregulated the expression of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) (MD = -16.14, 95%CI = [-21.45, -10.83], P<0.00001), substance P (SP) (MD = -11.47, 95%CI = [-15.97, -6.98], P<0.00001) and nitric oxide (NO) (MD = -3.02, 95%CI = [-3.79, -2.26], P<0.00001) in serum, and stimulatory G protein (Gsa) (MD = -62.90, 95%CI = [-69.88, -55.92], P<0.00001) in brainstem. Acupuncture also significantly increased the content of inhibitory G protein (Gia) (MD = 24.01, 95%CI = [20.10, 27.92], P<0.00001) in brainstem and 50% paw withdrawal threshold (50%PWT) (MD = 1.96, 95%CI = [1.15, 2.77], P<0.00001). ConclusionAcupuncture can effectively improve the behavioral performance of rates with migraine, and its mechanism of action might involve the inhibition of meningeal vasodilation and inflammatory factors, and the reduction of neurogenic inflammation.

Automated summary

This study systematically evaluated the effectiveness and potential mechanisms of acupuncture in treating an experimental migraine model in rats. The findings showed that acupuncture significantly reduced behavioral scores in rats with migraine and downregulated the expression of CGRP, SP, and NO in serum, as well as stimulated Gsa in the brainstem. Acupuncture also increased the content of Gia in the brainstem and 50%PWT. In conclusion, acupuncture effectively improves the behavioral performance in rats with migraine, potentially through its inhibition of meningeal vasodilation, inflammatory factors, and neurogenic inflammation.