Electroacupuncture alleviates diabetic peripheral neuropathy through modulating mitochondrial biogenesis and suppressing oxidative stress

BACKGROUND Peripheral neuropathy caused by diabetes is closely related to the vicious cycle of oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction resulting from metabolic abnormalities.The effects mediated by the silent information regulator type 2 homolog-1(SIRT1)/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1α(PGC-1α)axis present new opportunities for the treatment of type 2 diabetic peripheral neuropathy(T2DPN),potentially breaking this harmful cycle.AIM To validate the effectiveness of electroacupuncture(EA)in the treatment of T2DPN and investigate its potential mechanism based on the SIRT1/PGC-1αaxis.METHODS The effects of EA were evaluated through assessments of metabolic changes,morphological observations,and functional examinations of the sciatic nerve,along with measurements of inflammation and oxidative stress.Proteins related to the SIRT1/PGC-1αaxis,involved in the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis and antioxidative stress,were detected in the sciatic nerve using Western blotting to explain the underlying mechanism.A counterevidence group was created by injecting a SIRT1 inhibitor during EA intervention to support the hypothesis.RESULTS In addition to diabetes-related metabolic changes,T2DPN rats showed significant reductions in pain threshold after 9 weeks,suggesting abnormal peripheral nerve function.EA treatment partially restored metabolic control and reduced nerve damage in T2DPN rats.The SIRT1/PGC-1αaxis,which was downregulated in the model group,was upregulated by EA intervention.The endogenous antioxidant system related to the SIRT1/PGC-1αaxis,previously inhibited in diabetic rats,was reactivated.A similar trend was observed in inflammatory markers.When SIRT1 was inhibited in diabetic rats,these beneficial effects were abolished.CONCLUSION EA can alleviate the symptoms of T2DNP in experimental rats,and its effects may be related to the mitochondrial biogenesis and endogenous antioxidant system mediated by the SIRT1/PGC-1αaxis.

Infomarker—A New Internet InformationService System

As the web grows, the massive increase in information is placing severe burdens on information retrieval and sharing. Automated search engines and directories with small editorial staff are unable to keep up with the increasing submission of web sites. To address the problem, this paper presents Infomarker an Internet information service system based on open Directory and Zero-Keywond Inquiry. The oPen Directory sets up a net-community in which the increasing netcitizens can each organize a small portion of the web and present it to the others. By means of Zero-Keywond Inquiry, user can get the information he is interested in without inputting any keyword that is often required by search engines. In Infomarker,user can record the web address he likes and can put forward an information request based on his web records. The information matching engine checks the information in the open Directory to find what fits user's needs and adds it to user's web address records. The key to the matching process is layered keywoof mapping. Infomarker provides people with a whole new approach to getting information and shows a wide prospect.