Acupuncture at the Zusanli acupoint can reduce the inflammatory response in AIA mice by regulating the arachidonic acid and pentose phosphate pathways.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by synovitis, which can lead to joint deformity. Acupuncture treatment stimulates specific acupoints to adjust qi and blood function, relieving joint inflammation and pain.

Methods: Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS) was utilized for non-targeted metabolomics analysis of plasma samples from the blank group, Adjuvant-Induced Arthritis (AIA) model mice model mice group, and acupuncture group. Metabolite hierarchical clustering analysis, multivariate statistical analysis, standardized processing, principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and other methods were employed to identify targeted metabolites affected by acupuncture treatment in AIA mice. The related metabolic pathways were analyzed using KEGG pathway.

Results: Histopathological results demonstrated that acupuncture at Zusanli point (ST 36) significantly improved the inflammatory response in AIA mice. The PCA score plot indicated relatively close sample clustering within each group with significant differences observed between the four groups, confirming successful establishment of the AIA animal model with metabolic disorders occurring. Acupuncture treatment effectively corrected these metabolic disorders. Plasma metabolomics identified a total of 10 differential metabolites primarily associated with arachidonic acid and pentose phosphate metabolic pathways.

Conclusions: Acupuncture at ST36 can significantly improve the inflammatory response in AIA mice through modulation of arachidonic acid and pentose phosphate metabolic pathways.