title: [Progress of researches on mechanisms of acupuncture therapy underlying improving myocardial ischemia and the future approach for in-depth study on its mechanisms from epigenetics].
abstract: As an important content of alternative and complementary medicine, acupuncture therapy has been proved to be effective in relieving myocardial ischemia (MI). Authors of the present paper review recent progress of researches on acupuncture therapy in resisting MI from 1) improving cardiovascular function and promoting angiogenesis, and 2) protecting myocardial cells from further injury and reducing cellular apoptosis at different pathological stages of MI. Moreover, the authors discuss the characteristics of epigenetic regulation in the process of MI and cardiac repair including the methylating of DNA, modification of histone, remodeling of the chromatin, and micro-RNA expression, mediating cellular apoptosis, regeneration of myocardial blood vessels, etc. The authors hold that future studies on the underlying mechanisms of acupuncture therapy in the prevention and treatment of MI from epigenetics may be a new approach and a new direction.
authors.forename: Su-Yun
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Sheng-Feng
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Bing-Mei
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000818:Animals; D035843:Biomedical Research; D057890:Epigenomics; D006801:Humans; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*