EA may regulate lipid metabolism, alleviate oxidative stress injury, promote vascular intimal repair, and delay the progression of AS in ApoE-/- mice through the activation of the SIRT1/HIF-1α/Nrf2 antioxidant signaling pathway.
High-fat-diet-fed ApoE-/- model mice showed increased body weight and dyslipidemia compared with normal-diet C57BL/6J controls.
Model mice showed impaired antioxidant status and increased lipid peroxidation relative to controls.
Model mice showed typical atherosclerotic pathology of the thoracic aorta on HE staining.
In model mice, aortic SIRT1 and Nrf2 were down-regulated and HIF-1α was up-regulated at both protein and mRNA levels.
Electroacupuncture and the SIRT1 agonist resveratrol both improved body weight and lipid profile compared with the model group.
Electroacupuncture and resveratrol enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity and reduced MDA compared with the model group.
EA and agonist treatment improved aortic pathology.
EA and agonist treatment up-regulated aortic SIRT1 and Nrf2 and down-regulated HIF-1α compared with the model group.
Adding the SIRT1 inhibitor EX-527 to EA attenuated the benefits of EA on lipids, oxidative stress and body weight.
The SIRT1 inhibitor reversed EA's protective effects on aortic morphology and pathway expression.
This study in mice tested whether electroacupuncture, a form of acupuncture using mild electrical current, could slow the development of atherosclerosis (fatty plaque build-up in arteries). Mice genetically prone to atherosclerosis were fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks, then treated for 8 weeks with electroacupuncture at three acupoints (Neiguan, Tongli, Zusanli), with a SIRT1-activating compound (resveratrol), or with electroacupuncture plus a SIRT1-blocking drug. Compared with untreated model mice, those receiving electroacupuncture or resveratrol had lower body weight, lower LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol and triglycerides, higher HDL cholesterol, and better markers of antioxidant defense. Their aortas showed less damage under the microscope. They also had higher aortic levels of SIRT1 and Nrf2 (proteins linked to antioxidant defense) and lower levels of HIF-1α. When the SIRT1 inhibitor was added to electroacupuncture, these benefits were largely reduced, which suggests that SIRT1 signaling is involved in how electroacupuncture works in this model. This research suggests electroacupuncture may help reduce blood lipids and oxidative stress and protect the artery lining in mice through the SIRT1/HIF-1α/Nrf2 pathway. These are animal findings with 10 mice per group, so they do not show whether the same effects would occur in people.
Luo Y, Hu X, Zeng Y, Zhang N. (2026). [Effect of electroacupuncture on the SIRT1/HIF-1α/Nrf2 signaling pathway of thoracic aorta in ApoE-/- atherosclerotic mice].. Zhen ci yan jiu = Acupuncture research. https://doi.org/10.13702/j.1000-0607.20250953