Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Research Article

Acupuncture for Primary Osteoporosis: Evidence, Potential Treatment Prescriptions, and Mechanisms

Table 7

Representative examples of major antiosteoporotic effects of core acupoints and potential mechanisms.
AcupointsBeneficial EffectsPotential MechanismsExperimental Models UsedRef. #
BL23reduce the loss of bone mass, increase femoral BMD, improve the microstructure of bone tissue, promote bone formation, restore the amount of bone volume, improve bone architecture, enhance the secretion of testosteroneUpregulate the ratio of OPG/RANKL and LRP5, β-catenin and Runx2 expression; downregulate the expression of phosphorylated (p)-p38 and p-JNKrodent models[4, 35]
BL20reduce the loss of bone mass, increase femoral BMD, improve the microstructure of bone tissueUpregulate the ratio of OPG/RANKL and LRP5, β-catenin and Runx2 expression; downregulate the expression of phosphorylated (p)-p38 and p-JNKrodent models[4]
ST36increase the tibia BMD, increased E2 levelsReduced OPGL expression; upregulate the expression levels of RANKL mRNARabbits,
rodent models		[36, 37]
GV4reduce the loss of bone mass, increase the femoral BMD, improve the microstructure of the bone tissueUpregulate the ratio of OPG/RANKL expression; upregulate the expression levels of LRP5, β-catenin and Runx2rodent models[38]
SP6increase BMD, increased E2 levelsDecrease the concentration of TNFα and IgMHuman body [7]
CV4increase E2 levels, promote the serum ALP level, compress the serum DPD, promote bone formation, decrease the bone absorb, increase the immune function, resist the apoptosis and delay the regressive changes in uterus, strengthen the homeostasis of bodyUpregulate the expression levels of ER-α and ER-α mRNA in uterus, hypothalamus and spleenrodent models[39, 40]
KI3increase BMD, E2 levelsDecrease the concentration of TNFα and IgMHuman body [7]
MD = bone mineral density, JNK = c-Jun N-terminal kinase, OPGL = osteoprotegerin ligand, RANKL = receptor activator of NF-kB ligand, Ig = immunoglobulin, E2 = oestradiol, OPG = osteoprotegerin, TNF = tissue necrosis factor, ALP = alkaline phosphatase, DPD = deoxypyridinoline, ER-α = estrogen receptor-α, LRP = lipoprotein receptor-related protein, Runx = runt-related transcription factor.