Effects of electroacupuncture on mitochondrial fusion and fission during intestinal injury in mice with endotoxemia and role of HO-1 / 中华麻醉学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To evaluate the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on mitochondrial fusion and fission during intestinal injury in mice with endotoxemia and the role of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1).Methods:Fifty SPF-grade healthy male C57BL/6 mice, aged 8 weeks, weighing 18-22 g, were divided into 5 groups ( n=10 each) using a random number table method: control group (group C), endotoxemia group (group E), endotoxemia plus EA group (group E+ EA), endotoxemia plus EA plus hemin group (group E+ EA+ H) and endotoxemia plus EA plus Znpp-Ⅸ group (group E+ EA+ Znpp-Ⅸ). Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was intraperitoneally injected to develop the model of endotoxemia.Before LPS injection, the HO-1 inducer hemin 100 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected in group E+ EA+ H, and the HO-1 inhibitor zinc protoporphyrin Ⅸ 10 μmol/kg was intraperitoneally injected in group E+ EA+ Znpp-Ⅸ.At 4, 3, 2 and 1 days and 30 min prior to development of the model, Zusanli and Hegu acupoints were stimulated with electric stimulator (disperse-dense wave, frequency 2 Hz/15 Hz, at a voltage of 1 mA) for 30 min, retaining the needle until the end of the experiment on the day of development of the model.Mice were sacrificed at 6 h after development of the model, and the small intestinal tissue was obtained from the terminal ileum for examination of the pathological results (with a light microscope) and ultrastructure of mitochondria (with an electron microscope) and for determination of the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), ATP and diamine oxidase (DAO) and expression of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), mitofusin 1 (Mfn1) and HO-1 (by Western blot). Results:Compared with group C, the level of ROS was significantly increased, ATP content and DAO activity were decreased, the expression of HO-1 and Drp1 was up-regulated, the expression of Mfn1 was down-regulated ( P<0.05), and pathological damage to small intestine tissues was found in group E. Compared with group E, the level of ROS was significantly decreased, ATP content and DAO activity were increased, the expression of HO-1 and Mfn1 was up-regulated, the expression of Drp1 was down-regulated ( P<0.05), and pathological damage to small intestine tissues was significantly attenuated in group E+ EA.Compared with group E+ EA, the level of ROS was significantly decreased, ATP content and DAO activity were increased, the expression of HO-1 and Mfn1 was up-regulated, the expression of Drp1 was down-regulated ( P<0.05), and pathological damage to small intestine tissues was significantly attenuated in group E+ EA+ H, and the level of ROS was significantly increased, ATP content and DAO activity were decreased, the expression of HO-1 and Mfn1 was down-regulated, the expression of Drp1 was up-regulated ( P<0.05), and pathological damage to small intestine tissues was accenuated in group E+ EA+ Znpp-Ⅸ. Conclusions:EA can promote mitochondrial fusion, inhibit mitochondrial fission, and alleviate intestinal damage in mice with endotoxemia, and the mechanism is related to the up-regulation of HO-1 expression.