thread-embedding therapy &#40;teat&#41; for acupoint stimulation in rats

糸埋め込み鍼治療によるラットの認知機能の改善

Thread-embedding acupuncture (TEA) involves embedding catgut or absorbable sutures into acupoints using a special needle. This technique has a prolonged effect until the sutures are absorbed and degraded. It provides continuous and sustained stimulation to the acupoints for a week or longer1, achieving a comparable outcome without the necessity for daily repetitive procedures2. This reduces the number of patients seeking medical treatment, thus conserving medical resources to some extent. In recent years, TEAT has been increasingly used in various medical fields in China, including internal medicine, external medicine, dermatology, facial features, gynecology, and pediatrics3. Studies have shown that it is effective in producing long-term and reliable effects for certain chronic and complex diseases, such as epilepsy4 and facial nerve paralysis5. It has the advantages of minimal trauma and simple operation6. Additionally, the treatment costs of TEAT have been reported to be lower than those of electroacupuncture (EA)7. Therefore, TEAT is increasingly valued in clinical and scientific research.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition that progresses over time. Its pathophysiological process begins to accumulate approximately 20 years before clinical symptoms appear, but its mechanism is still not fully understood8. Given the limited availability of effective drugs for AD, research is increasingly focusing on the prodromal and preclinical stages of the disease9. Prevention is a crucial strategy for addressing the development and progression of AD9,10. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has made significant progress, and it is expected to offer new possibilities for preventing and treating AD11,12. As a subtype of acupuncture, TEAT is preferred over other therapies due to its wide treatment range, minimal trauma, simple operation, low treatment frequency, and long-lasting efficacy6. Emerging literature suggests that TEAT may benefit individuals with obesity13,14, diabetes15, insomnia16, postmenopausal osteoporosis17, and depression18, all of which are risk factors for AD. It also improves senescence in aging rats by regulating mitophagy2, improves spatial learning and memory impairment, alleviates pathological damage of the hippocampus, and inhibits inflammation response in vascular dementia (VD) rats19. It appeared attractive to figure out whether TEAT could also act on pathological processes during AD.
The current research lacks uniformity and standardization in several critical elements of TEAT operation, including the embedding method, embedding tool, thread, and embedding interval period. This lack of standardization affects the evaluation of the therapy's effect and the exploration of related mechanisms and restricts external promotion and communication. Prior research20,21 has demonstrated that intraperitoneal administration of D-galactose (D-gal) can induce Alzheimer's disease-like pathological changes in rats, including neuronal degeneration and cognitive impairments. Furthermore, electroacupuncture at the Baihui(GV20) and Shenshu(BL23) has been shown to effectively ameliorate cognitive decline, mitigate neuroinflammation, and reduce neuronal damage. This study takes Alzheimer's disease-like model rats as an example to introduce the selection of acupoints and the operation process and precautions of TEAT under this model. It discusses the critical operational elements of TEAT in experimental research to provide a reference for future studies.

著者スポットライト:アルツハイマー病研究における鍼治療の探求:糸埋め込み技術から臨床試験まで

アルツハイマー型における糸埋め込み鍼治療の手術手順と注意点

In this study we're teaching into high acupuncture can help with Alzheimer's, especially memory issues. We've got some promising results with a technique called thread-embedding that seems to help rats with Alzheimer's like symptoms. Remember better, it could be a promising way to tackle this disease.Technologies currently used to advance research in this file encompassed advanced imaging techniques like MRI and the PET scans to visualize brain changes, molecular biology tools for genetic and protein expression analysis, and the sophisticated animal models that replicate human AD pathology. The biggest lab hurdles are nailing the mimicry of human Alzheimer's in animals. Making sure discoveries can move to people and keeping competitor methods consistent for reliable results.This approach seeks to provide less invasive option, potentially delivering a cost effective and accessible methods with reduced that effects. In the future our laboratory aims to explore the molecule mechanisms of acupuncture, evaluate its capability with additional treatments, and assess its safety and efficacy in Alzheimer's patients where clinical trials.

ラットのツボ刺激のための糸埋め込み療法(TEAT)

まず、6番の使い捨て糸埋め込み針や5-0吸収性縫合糸など、滅菌手術器具を手術台に並べます。眼科用ハサミを使用して、外科用縫合糸を0.5センチメートルと0.2センチメートルの小片に切断します。カットした糸片を0.9%生理食塩水に浸します。麻酔をかけたラットの経穴Baihui GV 20を頭頂骨の右中点に位置させ、マーカーで印をつけます。ツボ周りの頭の周りをトリマーで剃ります。手術前に、0.5%ヨウ素溶液を円を描くように塗布し、ツボと周囲の皮膚を消毒します。次に、ヨードフォアでその領域を3回消毒し、それぞれにアルコールを塗布します。鉗子を使用して、生理食塩水に浸した0.2センチメートルの吸収性外科用縫合糸をクランプし、針管の前端に配置します。次に、縫合糸を針の芯に接続します。Baihui GV 20の周りを片手の親指と人差し指でつまみます。もう一方の手で針を持ち、皮膚表面に対して15度の角度で、先端から0.1センチメートル下に水平かつすばやく挿入します。針先がBaihui GV 20ポイントより0.1センチメートル上に達したら、針管を引っ込めながら針の芯を押し込み、ツボの皮下組織に縫合糸を埋め込みます。縫合糸が露出しないように、針をゆっくりと取り外します。滅菌乾燥綿で針穴を10秒間押して、出血を防ぎます。ラットの股関節結節に基づいて6番目の腰椎を見つけ、次に4つの椎体を上向きに数えて2番目の腰椎を見つけます。マーカーを使用して、Shenshu BL 23 2番目の椎骨の外側に5ミリメートルをマークします。ツボの周りの背中と腰の部分をトリマーで剃ります。0.5%ヨウ素溶液を円を描くように塗布し、ツボや周囲の皮膚を消毒します。生理食塩水に浸した0.5cmの吸収性外科用縫合糸を鉗子でクランプし、針の芯に接続します。押す手の人差し指と中指、または親指と人差し指で皮膚を伸ばします。もう一方の手で針を持ち、ShenshuBL0.25ポイントの下の23センチメートルのポイントに垂直にすばやく挿入します。針先が皮下0.5センチメートルに達したら、挿入方向を求心性にして皮膚表面と45度の角度になるように調整し、0.5センチメートルの斜めに挿入します。チューブを引っ込めながら針の芯を押し込み、0.5センチの縫合糸をツボの筋肉組織に埋め込みます。縫合糸が露出しないように、針をゆっくりと取り外します。次に、出血を防ぐために滅菌乾燥綿で針穴を10秒間押します。水泳速度の分析では、グループ間で有意差はなく、運動、速度、視覚のベースラインレベルが一貫していることが示されました。5日間のプラットフォーム検索トレーニング、移動軌跡、および脱出遅延分析の結果、スレッド埋め込み療法群は、対照群やモデル群と比較して、空間参照記憶が大幅に改善されたことが明らかになりました。プローブ試験では、対照群が線形および指向性戦略を使用したことが示され、記憶力が強いことが示唆されました。モデルグループのエッジベースの戦略では、記憶力の大幅な低下が示されましたが、スレッド埋め込み療法グループのトレンドベースの戦略では、記憶力の改善が示されました。滞在期間とプラットフォーム交差の回数から、糸埋め込み療法群がモデル群を大幅に上回ったことが明らかになり、空間学習と記憶力が向上したことが示されています。

Research

JoVE Journal

Neuroscience

Thread-Embedding Therapy &#40;TEAT&#41; for Acupoint Stimulation in Rats

Improving Cognitive Functions in Rats via Thread-Embedding Acupuncture Therapy

Operation Procedure and Precautions of Thread-Embedding Acupuncture Therapy in Alzheimer

Author Spotlight: Exploring Acupuncture in Alzheimer's Research from Thread-Embedding Techniques to Clinical Trials

Thread-embedding therapy (TEAT) is a treatment that prevents and manages diseases by inserting a biodegradable suture into an acupoint, providing ...

神経科学