Zhenzhen Han, Yang Zhang, Pengqian Wang, Qilin Tang, and Kai Zhang

Zhenzhen Han, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China;

Corresponding authors: Kai Zhang, Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin Gong An Hospital, No. 78 Nanjing Road, Heping District, Tianjin 300042, China. Tel.: +8613043295598. E-mail: moc.361@iakgnahzlooc; Qilin Tang, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hebei University of Chinese Medicine, No. 3 Xingyuan Road, Luquan District, Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang 050200, China. E-mail: moc.621@321niliqt; Pengqian Wang, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, 16 Dongzhimennei, Dongcheng District, Haiyuncang Lane, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100700, China. E-mail: moc.361@gnaw.naiqgnep

Zhenzhen Han, Yang Zhang contributed equally to this work.

Abstract

Acupuncture is an important part of Chinese medicine that has been widely used in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, acupuncture has been used as a complementary treatment for COVID-19 in China. However, the underlying mechanism of acupuncture treatment of COVID-19 remains unclear. Based on bioinformatics/topology, this paper systematically revealed the multi-target mechanisms of acupuncture therapy for COVID-19 through text mining, bioinformatics, network topology, etc. Two active compounds produced after acupuncture and 180 protein targets were identified. A total of 522 Gene Ontology terms related to acupuncture for COVID-19 were identified, and 61 pathways were screened based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. Our findings suggested that acupuncture treatment of COVID-19 was associated with suppression of inflammatory stress, improving immunity and regulating nervous system function, including activation of neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction, calcium signaling pathway, cancer pathway, viral carcinogenesis,Staphylococcus aureus infection, etc. The study also found that acupuncture may have additional benefits for COVID-19 patients with cancer, cardiovascular disease and obesity. Our study revealed for the first time the multiple synergistic mechanisms of acupuncture on COVID-19. Acupuncture may play an active role in the treatment of COVID-19 and deserves further promotion and application. These results may help to solve this pressing problem currently facing the world.

Keywords: acupuncture, interventions, COVID-19, bioinformatics, network topology