| First Author | Liu S | Year | 2020 |
| Journal | Neuron | Volume | 108 |
| Issue | 3 | Pages | 436-450.e7 |
| PubMed ID | 32791039 | Mgi Jnum | J:341758 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6503467 | Doi | 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.07.015 |
| Citation | Liu S, et al. (2020) Somatotopic Organization and Intensity Dependence in Driving Distinct NPY-Expressing Sympathetic Pathways by Electroacupuncture. Neuron 108(3):436-450.e7 |
| abstractText | The neuroanatomical basis behind acupuncture practice is still poorly understood. Here, we used intersectional genetic strategy to ablate NPY(+) noradrenergic neurons and/or adrenal chromaffin cells. Using endotoxin-induced systemic inflammation as a model, we found that electroacupuncture stimulation (ES) drives sympathetic pathways in somatotopy- and intensity-dependent manners. Low-intensity ES at hindlimb regions drives the vagal-adrenal axis, producing anti-inflammatory effects that depend on NPY(+) adrenal chromaffin cells. High-intensity ES at the abdomen activates NPY(+) splenic noradrenergic neurons via the spinal-sympathetic axis; these neurons engage incoherent feedforward regulatory loops via activation of distinct adrenergic receptors (ARs), and their ES-evoked activation produces either anti- or pro-inflammatory effects due to disease-state-dependent changes in AR profiles. The revelation of somatotopic organization and intensity dependency in driving distinct autonomic pathways could form a road map for optimizing stimulation parameters to improve both efficacy and safety in using acupuncture as a therapeutic modality. |
