Impact of Acupuncture on Human Metabolomic Profiles: A Systematic Review

Background/Objectives: Metabolomics provides insights into the biological underpinnings of disease development and treatment. This systematic review investigated the impact of acupuncture on metabolite levels and associated metabolic pathways using a metabolomic approach. Methods: Five databases (i....

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Main Authors: Hongjin Li, Hannah Choi, Madelyn C. Houser, Changwei Li, Tingting Liu, Shuang Gao, Katy Sullivan, Judith M. Schlaeger
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Metabolites
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/14/10/542
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author Hongjin Li
Hannah Choi
Madelyn C. Houser
Changwei Li
Tingting Liu
Shuang Gao
Katy Sullivan
Judith M. Schlaeger
author_facet Hongjin Li
Hannah Choi
Madelyn C. Houser
Changwei Li
Tingting Liu
Shuang Gao
Katy Sullivan
Judith M. Schlaeger
author_sort Hongjin Li
collection DOAJ
description Background/Objectives: Metabolomics provides insights into the biological underpinnings of disease development and treatment. This systematic review investigated the impact of acupuncture on metabolite levels and associated metabolic pathways using a metabolomic approach. Methods: Five databases (i.e., PubMed, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, and Cochrane Central) were searched using terms such as “acupuncture” and “metabolites” to retrieve relevant journal articles published through January 2024. Studies utilizing mass spectrometry or nuclear magnetic resonance were included. Risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and the Newcastle–Ottawa scale. Metabolic pathway analysis was conducted using MetaboAnalyst 6.0 to identify common significant pathways affected by acupuncture. Additionally, subgroup pathway enrichment analysis identified metabolites significantly altered in more than two studies. Results: Among 4019 articles, 22 studies met inclusion criteria, examining changes in metabolomic biomarkers before and after acupuncture for various diseases and symptoms. A total of 226 metabolites showed significant changes, with 14 common metabolites altered in more than two studies (glutamine, androsterone glucuronide, choline, citric acid, decanoylcarnitine, estrone, glutathione, glycine, hypoxanthine, lactic acid, pyruvic acid, serine, proline, and sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine). Common pathways affected by acupuncture were glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism, glutathione metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, and glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism. Conclusions: This review provides insights of the metabolomic mechanisms underlying acupuncture, highlighting its impact on specific metabolic pathways. Recognizing these changes can enhance acupuncture’s effectiveness and support the development of personalized treatments. The findings underscore metabolomics as a valuable tool for understanding and optimizing acupuncture for various diseases and symptoms.
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spelling doaj-art-7abcf587448c4411b4be3d1199df75ef2025-08-20T02:10:56ZengMDPI AGMetabolites2218-19892024-10-01141054210.3390/metabo14100542Impact of Acupuncture on Human Metabolomic Profiles: A Systematic ReviewHongjin Li0Hannah Choi1Madelyn C. Houser2Changwei Li3Tingting Liu4Shuang Gao5Katy Sullivan6Judith M. Schlaeger7College of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USACollege of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USANell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USASchool of Public Health, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USACollege of Nursing, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USACollege of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USACollege of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USACollege of Nursing, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USABackground/Objectives: Metabolomics provides insights into the biological underpinnings of disease development and treatment. This systematic review investigated the impact of acupuncture on metabolite levels and associated metabolic pathways using a metabolomic approach. Methods: Five databases (i.e., PubMed, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, and Cochrane Central) were searched using terms such as “acupuncture” and “metabolites” to retrieve relevant journal articles published through January 2024. Studies utilizing mass spectrometry or nuclear magnetic resonance were included. Risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and the Newcastle–Ottawa scale. Metabolic pathway analysis was conducted using MetaboAnalyst 6.0 to identify common significant pathways affected by acupuncture. Additionally, subgroup pathway enrichment analysis identified metabolites significantly altered in more than two studies. Results: Among 4019 articles, 22 studies met inclusion criteria, examining changes in metabolomic biomarkers before and after acupuncture for various diseases and symptoms. A total of 226 metabolites showed significant changes, with 14 common metabolites altered in more than two studies (glutamine, androsterone glucuronide, choline, citric acid, decanoylcarnitine, estrone, glutathione, glycine, hypoxanthine, lactic acid, pyruvic acid, serine, proline, and sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine). Common pathways affected by acupuncture were glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism, glutathione metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, and glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism. Conclusions: This review provides insights of the metabolomic mechanisms underlying acupuncture, highlighting its impact on specific metabolic pathways. Recognizing these changes can enhance acupuncture’s effectiveness and support the development of personalized treatments. The findings underscore metabolomics as a valuable tool for understanding and optimizing acupuncture for various diseases and symptoms.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/14/10/542acupuncturecomplementary and integrative healthhumanmechanismsmetabolomicspathway
spellingShingle Hongjin Li
Hannah Choi
Madelyn C. Houser
Changwei Li
Tingting Liu
Shuang Gao
Katy Sullivan
Judith M. Schlaeger
Impact of Acupuncture on Human Metabolomic Profiles: A Systematic Review
Metabolites
acupuncture
complementary and integrative health
human
mechanisms
metabolomics
pathway
title Impact of Acupuncture on Human Metabolomic Profiles: A Systematic Review
title_full Impact of Acupuncture on Human Metabolomic Profiles: A Systematic Review
title_fullStr Impact of Acupuncture on Human Metabolomic Profiles: A Systematic Review
title_full_unstemmed Impact of Acupuncture on Human Metabolomic Profiles: A Systematic Review
title_short Impact of Acupuncture on Human Metabolomic Profiles: A Systematic Review
title_sort impact of acupuncture on human metabolomic profiles a systematic review
topic acupuncture
complementary and integrative health
human
mechanisms
metabolomics
pathway
url https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/14/10/542
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