Electroacupuncture relieved migraine-like pain in rats by restoring mitochondrial quality control and reducing oxidative damage in the brain.
Researchers induced migraine-like symptoms in rats using nitroglycerin, then delivered low- and high-frequency electroacupuncture at two traditional acupuncture points. They recorded pain-related and exploratory behaviours, measured paw sensitivity, assessed migraine-associated pain and vascular molecules in brain tissue, examined mitochondrial structure by electron microscopy, measured mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, and evaluated proteins involved in mitochondrial quality control.
Electroacupuncture reduced pain-related behaviour, improved movement and exploration, and decreased sensitivity to mechanical stimulation. It also lowered calcitonin gene-related peptide and nitric oxide while increasing endothelin, indicating altered pain and vascular signalling. Brain mitochondria showed less structural damage and oxidative stress, alongside increased expression of proteins that regulate removal of damaged mitochondria, suggesting that improved mitochondrial maintenance contributed to the therapeutic effect.
