Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairments activities without efficient pharmacological therapies in social interaction, speech and stereotypic patterns. Clinical studies have shown the efficacy of acupuncture as an alternative therapy for autism. The effectiveness of acupuncture as an alternative treatment for autism has been demonstrated through clinical trials. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie these effects remain unclear. Due to its profound pro-social, anxiolytic, stress management effects, and its potential use for the treatment of psychiatric disorders associated with altered socioemotional competence, oxytocin (OT) released from the hypothalamus has attracted considerable interest. In the past decade, a number of clinical and animal studies have shown that OT administration effectively reduces core symptoms of ASD, especially social behavior deficits. Recently, the endocannabinoid system has emerged as a promising target for the treatment of autism. OT was found to facilitate the endocannabinoid-mediated social reward processes in the nucleus accumbens of the mouse brain. Furthermore, serotonin and dopamine are involved in the reward response mediated by OT. In view of these findings, we conclude that acupuncture may produce therapeutic effects on autism by triggering the hypothalamic oxytocin system, which in turn activates the release of neurotransmitters such as endocannabinoids, dopamine and serotonin. This would be a valuable guide for further research on the mechanism of treatment of autism with acupuncture.

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针灸和催产素系统：自闭症的有希望的治疗方法

自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）是一组异质性神经发育障碍，其特征是在社交互动、言语和刻板模式方面缺乏有效的药物治疗，导致活动受损。临床研究表明针灸作为自闭症替代疗法的功效。针灸作为自闭症替代疗法的有效性已通过临床试验得到证实。然而，这些效应背后的分子机制仍不清楚。由于其具有深远的亲社会、抗焦虑、压力管理作用，以及其在治疗与社会情绪能力改变相关的精神疾病方面的潜在用途，下丘脑释放的催产素 (OT) 引起了相当大的兴趣。过去十年中，多项临床和动物研究表明，OT 治疗可有效减轻 ASD 的核心症状，尤其是社交行为缺陷。最近，内源性大麻素系统已成为治疗自闭症的有希望的目标。研究发现，OT 可以促进小鼠大脑伏核中内源性大麻素介导的社会奖励过程。此外，血清素和多巴胺参与 OT 介导的奖赏反应。鉴于这些发现，我们得出结论，针灸可能通过触发下丘脑催产素系统对自闭症产生治疗作用，该系统反过来又激活内源性大麻素、多巴胺和血清素等神经递质的释放。这对于进一步研究针灸治疗自闭症的机制具有重要的指导意义。