Table 5.

The potential mechanisms of acupuncture on CSAP.

Acupoints	Beneficial effects	Potential mechanisms	Ref. #
PC6, HT5	Delay the process of plaque instability, reduce the incidence of malignant cardiovascular events	Reduce the serum content of matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9)	[15]
PC6, HT5	Stabilize atherosclerotic plaque	Decrease volume and the equivalent block of coronary artery calcified plaque (CACP)	[23]
PC6	Vasodilatation, lowering blood pressure, inhibiting platelet adhesion and aggregation, maintaining normal cardiac output, controlling collateral circulation opening, adjusting tissue perfusion, and protecting myocardial perfusion	Decrease endothelin (ET) and increase nitric oxide (NO)	[16]
PC6, HT5	Improve the tension of the cardiac autonomic nervous system	Increase heart rate variability (HRV)	[24]
PC6	Improve the prognosis of CSAP	Decrease neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR)	[25]
PC6, RN17, HT6, SP10, LR3	Reduce inflammatory response	Reduce the content of C-reactive protein (CRP) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)	[14]