Bioinformatics Analysis and Literature Mining Identify Candidate Targets and Immune–Metabolic Pathways of Acupuncture in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Background Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a widespread metabolic disorder characterized by maternal insulin resistance and chronic placental inflammation. Acupuncture has emerged as a promising complementary therapy, yet its underlying molecular mechanisms within placental tissues remain elusive. Methods The microarray dataset GSE70493, comprising placental tissues from 32 GDM patients and 31 healthy controls, was retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus database to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). A comprehensive repository of 109 acupuncture-related metabolic and inflammatory targets was curated through literature mining. Intersection analysis was performed to identify candidate intersection genes. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks and hub genes were determined using STRING and Cytoscape (CytoHubba plugin). Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses were subsequently conducted. Results A total of 1,211 DEGs were identified from GSE70493. Intersecting these with the 109 acupuncture targets yielded 22 candidate intersection genes. PPI network and CytoHubba (maximal clique centrality method) analyses identified six top hub genes: HLA-DRA (major histocompatibility complex, class II, DR alpha), NFKB1 (nuclear factor kappa B subunit 1), CXCL10 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10), CXCL9 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 9), IL1B (interleukin 1 beta), and HLA-DRB1 (major histocompatibility complex, class II, DR beta 1 ). Enrichment analyses revealed that these candidate genes were significantly enriched in antigen processing and presentation, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II protein complex assembly, type I diabetes mellitus, and inflammatory signaling pathways. Conclusion These exploratory findings suggest that acupuncture-related candidate genes dysregulated in GDM placentas are associated with placental immune–metabolic crosstalk, local inflammatory signaling, and MHC-mediated antigen presentation; whether acupuncture modulates these genes remains unknown, and experimental validation is warranted.