The application of acupuncture in cardiopathy: A bibliometric analysis based on Web of Science across ten recent years

Background

With high morbidity and mortality, cardiopathy is a major component of cardiovascular disease, causing a huge burden of disease to public health worldwide. In recent years, research on acupuncture treatment of cardiopathies has been increasing. However, no bibliometric analysis has been conducted to systematically describe the research progress and hotspots in this field. Therefore, this study aimed to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the relevant literature to explore the current status and future development of acupuncture for cardiopathies.

Methods

The Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection Database was searched for literature related to acupuncture therapies for cardiopathies from 2011 to 2021. Using CiteSpace 5.8 R3, cooperation network diagrams of authors, institutions, countries and journals, keyword co-occurrences, and clustering were performed and analyzed.

Results

A total of 321 studies were included. Overall, the number of annual publications increased yearly. These publications came from 31 countries or regions, of which China and the United States made the greatest contributions. In total, 333 authors from 258 institutions participated in this field, and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and Professor Fanrong Liang were the most published institution and author, respectively. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine published the largest number of articles, and CIRCULATION was the most commonly cited journal. Based on co-occurrences and cluster analysis of 257 keywords, three research frontiers and hotspots were identified: acupuncture for blood pressure regulation, acupuncture for coronary heart disease, and acupuncture for regulation of heart rate. In these three research frontiers, the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) and autonomic nervous system (ANS) are the most popular mechanisms.

Conclusion

A stable development trend has formed in this field. Further research should focus on the role of acupuncture therapies in the treatment of hypertension or hypertensive heart disease, coronary heart disease, and arrhythmia based on the mechanisms related to the RVLM and ANS.

Quercetin regulates inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and mitochondrial structure and function in H9C2 cells by promoting PVT1 expression

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect and potential mechanism of quercetin on inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and mitochondrial structure and function in H9C2 cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

H9C2 cells were obtained from the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Science, and randomly divided into six groups: control, model, PVT1 overexpression (OV), quercetin, OV + quercetin, and NAC groups. The CCK-8 assay was performed to examine cell proliferation. Flow cytometry was used to examine cell apoptosis, cell membrane potential, and ROS levels. The expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) was measured by ELISA and a Biochemical kit. Western blotting was used to determine the levels of p-DRP1 (s637), MFN2, NF-kB, p-NF-kB, IkB, and p-IkB. IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, and IL-1β mRNA expression was examined by RT-PCR. Electron microscopy was used to observe the structure of mitochondria in H9C2 cells.

RESULTS

MDA, p-NF-κB, p-IKB, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α expression levels, and the cell apoptosis rate were significantly higher in the model group than in the control group (P < 0.05). In contrast, the cell proliferation rate and IL-10, SOD, eNOS, and ATP levels were significantly lower in the model group (P < 0.05). Moreover, MDA expression was significantly lower in the OV, quercetin, quercetin + OV, and NAC groups than in the model group (P < 0.05), while SOD, eNOS, and ATP levels were higher. The electron microscopy results showed that PVT1 overexpression or quercetin treatment could inhibit inflammation-induced mitochondrial fission and promote mitochondrial fusion.

CONCLUSION

Quercetin promotes the proliferation of H9C2 cells, while inhibiting inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell apoptosis, and alleviating the structural and functional dysfunction of mitochondria. These effects are achieved by promoting PVT1 expression.

The Role of Adenosine A2b Receptor in Mediating the Cardioprotection of Electroacupuncture Pretreatment via Influencing Ca2+ Key Regulators

Objective

To investigate the roles played by A2b receptor and the key Ca²⁺ signaling components in the mediation of the cardioprotection of electroacupuncture pretreatment in the rats subjected to myocardial ischemia and reperfusion.

Methods

SD rats were randomly divided into a normal control (NC) group, ischemia/reperfusion model (M) group, electroacupuncture pretreatment (EA) group, and electroacupuncture pretreatment plus A2b antagonist (EAG) group. The ischemia/reperfusion model was made by ligation and loosening of the left descending branch of the coronary artery in all groups except the NC group. The EA group was pretreated with electroacupuncture at the Neiguan (PC6) point once a day for three consecutive days before the modeling. The elevation of the ST segment, arrhythmia scores, and myocardial infarction size of each group was measured. The relative expression levels of A2b, RyR2, SERCA2a, NCX1, P-PLB(S16)/PLB, and Troponin C/Troponin I proteins in the injured myocardium were detected by multiple fluorescence western blot.

Results

The level of ST segment, arrhythmia scores, and infarct size in the M group was significantly higher/larger than that in the NC group after ischemia and reperfusion, while all the three indices mentioned above in the EA group were significantly lower/smaller than those in the M group after reperfusion. The expression of the proteins of adenosine receptor 2b(A2b), ryanodine receptor 2(RyR2), and sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca²⁺-ATPase 2a (SERCA2a) in the EA group was significantly enhanced as compared with the M group, while in the EAG group, the contents of A2b were significantly lower than those in the EA group, and RyR2 was higher in the EAG group. In comparison with the NC group, the relative expression of NCX1 protein in M, EA, and EAG groups was not changed significantly. The ratio of phosphorylated phospholamban (P-PLB) over phospholamban (PLB) in the M group was significantly lower than that in the NC group, and the ratio in the EA group was significantly increased as compared with the M group, while the ratio of Troponin C/Troponin I in the EA group was significantly decreased in comparison with that in other groups.

Conclusion

Electroacupuncture pretreatment could reduce ischemia and reperfusion-induced myocardial injury via possibly increasing the A2b content and regulating the key Ca²⁺ signaling components, namely inhibiting RyR2 and enhancing P-PLB(S16)/PLB ratio and SERCA2a proteins, so as to diminish the intracellular Ca²⁺ overload and consequently lessen the myocardial injury.