Electroacupuncture may relieve gouty arthritis by resetting body-clock signals that suppress inflammatory immune activation.
Researchers identified two commonly used acupuncture points through data mining, then applied electroacupuncture at these points in rats with gouty arthritis induced by monosodium urate crystals. They assessed joint swelling, walking ability, inflammatory markers in blood and joint tissue, immune-cell infiltration, nerve signalling, central clock activity, peripheral clock-gene rhythms, and inflammasome-related proteins.
Electroacupuncture reduced joint inflammation and swelling, improved movement, and lowered inflammatory signals and immune-cell infiltration. These benefits were associated with altered sciatic nerve communication, regulation of the brain’s central circadian clock, restoration of rhythmic clock-gene activity in peripheral tissues, and reduced activation of the inflammatory protein complex that drives gout-related inflammation.
