Relationship between acupuncture and transient receptor potential vanilloid: Current and future directions

Abstract

Acupuncture is a common complementary and alternative therapy around the world, but its mechanism remains still unclear. In the past decade, some studies indicated that transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) channels play a great role in the response of acupuncture stimulation. In this article, we discussed the relationship between acupuncture and TRPV channels. Different from inhibitors and agonists, the regulation of acupuncture on TRPV channels is multi-targeted and biphasic control. Acupuncture stimulation shows significant modulation on TRPV1 and TRPV4 at the autonomic nervous system (ANS) including central and peripheral nervous systems. On the contrary, the abundant expression and functional participation of TRPV1 and TRPV4 were specific to acupuncture stimulation at acupoints. The enhancement or inhibition of TRPV channels at different anatomical levels will affect the therapeutic effect of acupuncture. In conclusion, TRPV channels help to understand the principle of acupuncture stimulation, and acupuncture also provides a potential approach to TRPV-related trials.

Keywords: TRPV channels; acupuncture; autonomic nervous system; central nervous system; peripheral sensory nervous.

FIGURE 1

Acupoints in murine. Acupuncture delivery is through the insertion of needles into the muscle at acupoints with 1–3 mm depth and triggering of a local reaction by means of manual manipulation or electrical stimulation. Sham acupuncture is usually performed in the tissue adjacent to the targeted acupoint without manual operation or electrode connection.

FIGURE 2

Relationship between acupuncture and TRPV channels. Noxious stimulus could lead to the imbalance of TRPV channel in multiple tissues. In many studies, it has been found that the therapeutic effect of acupuncture may be related to the agitation or antagonism of TRPV1 and TRPV4. The role of acupuncture in achieving systemic conditions through stimulation of specific acupoints may be closely dependent on the autonomic nervous system. Phosphorylation is an important mechanism in which acupuncture regulates downstream cytokines through TRPV channels.