Examining the Effector Mechanisms of the Feishu Acupoint (BL13) in the Treatment of Pneumonia Based on Systematic Acupuncture and Moxibustion Research

Yan Xu; Jiali Cai; Weibin Li; Jingkun Miao; Yan Mei; Xinna Wang; Hanying Xu; Qixiong Chen; Fang Liu; Hongtao Cui

doi:10.1155/2021/5578104

Examining the Effector Mechanisms of the Feishu Acupoint (BL13) in the Treatment of Pneumonia Based on Systematic Acupuncture and Moxibustion Research

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021 Jul 5:2021:5578104. doi: 10.1155/2021/5578104. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Yan Xu¹, Jiali Cai¹, Weibin Li², Jingkun Miao³, Yan Mei², Xinna Wang¹, Hanying Xu¹, Qixiong Chen², Fang Liu², Hongtao Cui^{2

4}

Affiliations

¹ Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun 130117, China.
² Chongqing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing 400021, China.
³ Newborn Screening Center, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing 401332, China.
⁴ Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.

Abstract

Background: Pneumonia is a serious global health problem. In traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture or moxibustion is used to directly stimulate select acupoints on the surface of the human body and produce physical stimulation to further stimulate regulatory functions in the body, strengthening bodily resistance, eliminating disease, and adjusting the viscera. However, this Chinese medicine knowledge does not include the specific mechanisms of action or targets of acupoints. Therefore, an in-depth research is needed.

Methods: An acupoint-element database was constructed, and the target elements of the Feishu point were screened. The UniProt-Swiss-Prot sublibrary was used to obtain correct gene name information. The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and GEO2R were used to analyze differentially expressed genes in pneumonia. The STRING database was used to analyze interactions, construct a network of the Feishu point efficacy system in pneumonia, and elucidate the mechanisms of action.

Results: The Feishu point comprises 34 elements in total. The protein interaction analysis has 38 nodes and 115 edges. The Feishu point efficacy system-pneumonia system network shows that cytokine signaling in the immune system, signaling by interleukins (ILs), IL-4 and IL-13 signaling, and the immune system may be related to immunity and inflammation. The Feishu point efficacy system regulating pneumonia showed that FCER2, IL4R, FASLG, TGFB1, IL6R, STAT6, IL1B, CASP3, IL5RA, IL2RB, MYD88, SQSTM1, IL12RB1, IFNGR1, ADAM17, and CDH1 are the main targets.

Conclusion: From the perspective of systematic acupuncture and moxibustion, the Feishu point regulates cytokine signaling in the immune system, signaling by ILs, IL-4 and IL-13 signaling, and the immune system by targeting FCER2, IL4R, FASLG, TGFB1, IL6R, STAT6, IL1B, CASP3, IL5RA, IL2RB, MYD88, SQSTM1, IL12RB1, IFNGR1, ADAM17, and CDH1, thereby regulating pneumonia.