Acupuncture-induced gene co-expression networks in postmenopausal women with osteoarthritis and osteoporosis: in-silico analysis

Abstract

Objective: Bone is a tissue that is constantly remodeled to adjust the microarchitecture and maintain the mechanical needs of bone through the balance of bone resorption and formation processes. Alterations in these processes can lead to the development of different diseases, such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. In recent years, it has been shown that acupuncture is an effective treatment for pain, physical dysfunctions, and the immune system, so the stimulation of acupuncture points could affect genes associated with inflammatory processes and, therefore, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. To analyze changes in gene expression post-acupuncture in data from a group of individuals with osteoarthritis that also manifests in osteoporosis.
Methods: Through using microarray technology and bioinformatics analysis, potential genes associated with osteoarthritis after acupuncture treatment are identified and compared with genes implicated in osteoporosis. The genes identified in each disease were evaluated through a Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) signaling pathway analysis, where the results allowed the generation of an in-silico model that shows interaction networks between signaling pathways and genes involved in both diseases.
Results: In this interaction, 37 differentially expressed genes were identified in patients with osteoarthritis before and after acupuncture treatment, and 665 differentially expressed genes were involved in osteoporosis. In the osteoarthritis group, 15 signaling pathways involved in this disease were obtained, and for osteoporosis, 13 signaling pathways associated with immunological processes that participate in bone metabolism were obtained osteoarthritis and osteoporosis are two age-associated diseases that are characterized by alterations in the bone remodeling mechanism induced by changes in gene expression profiles.
Conclusions: Treatment with acupuncture can modify various cytokines involved in diseases related to the immune system so that it can have beneficial effects on osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. In addition, bioinformatics analysis allows us to know those signaling pathways through which they could have acupuncture effects.

Keywords

Acupuncture / Genes / Osteoarthritis / Osteoporosis / Signaling pathway

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