Wang, Xiang-Yi, Liu, Chang-Zheng, Lei, Bo · Zhen ci yan jiu = Acupuncture research · 2017
Researchers tested whether acupuncture could help rats with chronic fatigue syndrome by measuring changes in immune system markers. Acupuncture was applied to three specific points for two weeks, and the treated rats showed improved tiredness and swimming performance compared to untreated rats. The study suggests acupuncture may work by rebalancing immune system signals that become disrupted in ME/CFS.
Understanding potential biological mechanisms by which acupuncture might benefit ME/CFS patients could help validate this treatment approach and identify which immune pathways are dysregulated in ME/CFS. The T-bet/GATA-3 ratio may represent a measurable biomarker for disease severity and treatment response, which is critically needed in ME/CFS research.
This animal model study does not prove that acupuncture is effective in human ME/CFS patients, as rodent stress models do not fully replicate the complex pathophysiology of the human disease. The study demonstrates association between acupuncture treatment and immune marker changes, but cannot establish causation or whether these specific immune changes are responsible for symptom improvement. Results from a single rat model cannot be generalized to humans without clinical translation studies.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Wang, Xiang-Yi, Liu, Chang-Zheng, & Lei, Bo (2017). [Effect of Acupuncture on the Expression of Transcription Factor T-bet/GATA-3 in Plasma of Rats with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome].. Zhen ci yan jiu = Acupuncture research. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29071982/
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-wang-2017-effect-acupuncture,
author = {Wang, Xiang-Yi and Liu, Chang-Zheng and Lei, Bo},
title = {[Effect of Acupuncture on the Expression of Transcription Factor T-bet/GATA-3 in Plasma of Rats with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome].},
journal = {Zhen ci yan jiu = Acupuncture research},
year = {2017},
note = {PubMed: 29071982},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/wang-2017-effect-acupuncture},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/wang-2017-effect-acupuncture
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