Effect of Acupuncture on the Change in Mineral Density of Postmenopausal Women in the State of Mexico

Abstract

Introduction. Osteoporosis (OP) is a systemic disease of bone metabolism characterized by loss of bone mass and deterioration of bone microarchitecture, leading to increased fragility and susceptibility to fractures. This condition affects both sexes, although postmenopausal women are the most affected. Currently, OP treatment is based on drugs aimed at inhibiting resorption with bisphosphonates or stimulating bone formation through hormone replacement therapy. However, these can generate adverse effects that are detrimental to health. Therefore, alternative treatments such as acupuncture could be effective for OP, since it has been shown in murine models to improve BMD. Objective. To evaluate the effect of acupuncture on BMD in a population of postmenopausal women from the State of Mexico. Methodology. Two groups of postmenopausal women were recruited, one with high and one with low BMD, from whom biochemical and anthropometric data were obtained before and after acupuncture treatment. The stimulated points were BL23, BL20, BL17, BL11, SI18, TR2, TR10, and KI3, aimed at improving BMD over three months. Subsequently, a bioinformatics analysis was performed to detect changes in gene expression profiles induced by acupuncture, from which those involved in bone metabolism were selected and validated by RT-qPCR before and after acupuncture treatment. Results. An increase in femoral neck BMD and hip circumference was observed in women with low BMD after acupuncture stimulation. Bioinformatics analysis showed eight genes involved in signaling pathways associated with bone metabolism, of which FNIP2, FGD2, and SAMD9L showed significant differences after acupuncture treatment. These genes are involved in the following signaling pathways: Regulation of cytoskeletal actin, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, Autophagy, Ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, Growth hormone synthesis, secretion, and action, FoxO signaling pathway, Apoptosis, mTOR signaling pathway, and sphingolipid signaling pathway. Conclusions. Acupuncture induces an increase in BMD and fat mass in patients with osteoporosis, which may be associated with an increase in estrogen levels that could promote osteogenesis.