[Serumimmunological study of moxibustion on helicobacter pylori gastritis in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the immune mechanism of moxibustion on protecting gastric mucosa injury. METHODS: Forty healthy SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: a blank group, a model group, a moxibustion acupoint group and a moxibustion non-acupoint group, 10 rats in each one. Eight days before model establishment, moxibustion at "Zusanli" (ST 36), "Zhongwan" (CV 12), "Guanyuan" (CV 4), "Pishu" (BL 20) and "Weishu" (BL 21) was applied in the moxibustion acupoint group while these acupoints' controlled points were selected in the moxibustion non-acupoint group, and no treatment was given in the model group, once a day in three groups for continuous 16 days. The helicobacter pylori (Hp) model was established by intragastric administration of Hp. HE staining microscopic examination was used to observe inflammation severity in gastric mucosa, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was adapted to measure content of heat shock protein (HSP) 72, TNF-alpha and IL-1beta, and real-time quantitative PCR was used to measure the expression of TLR2 mRNA, TLR4 mRNA, CD14 mRNA and MyD88 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and western blot method was used to measure content of NFkappaB and IkappaBalpha in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. RESULTS: Compared with the blank group, the expression of HP could be seen in the smear of gastric mucosa by Gram's staining in the model group; the inflammation severity score was obviously increased as well as content of serum HSP 72 and TNF-alpha and IL-1beta in gastric tissue; and expression of TLR2, 4 mRNA, CD14 mRNA, MyD88 mRNA, NFkappaB was increased (P < 0.01), but the expression of IkappaBalpha was reduced (P < 0.05). After the moxibustion, the inflammation severity score was reduced in the moxibustion acupoint group, and the content of serum HSP 72 was increased, and the expression of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta in gastric tissue and expression of TLR2 mRNA, TLR4 mRNA, CD14 mRNA, MyD88 mRNA and NFkappaB were reduced (P < 0.01), but the expression of IkappaBalpha was increased (P < 0.05). The differences between the moxibustion non-acupoint group and the model group were not significant (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The pretreatment of moxibustion at acupoints could induce the over expression of serum HSP 72. By combining TLR 2 and 4 receptors to trigger receptor signal transduction pathways, the releases of downstream signal substances are regulated; as a result, the releases of related immune substances are regulated to relieve the gastric mucosa injury of rats with HP gastritis.

[Effects of pricking bleeding at "Weizhong" (BL40) on sciatic nerve conduction velocity and interleukin-1alpha content in the lumbar vertebral nucleus pulposus in experimental lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion rabbits].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of "Weizhong" (BL40) bleeding on sciatic nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) and interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha) content of the lumbar vertebral nucleus pulposus tissue in experimental lumbar intervertebral disc protrusion (LIDP) rabbits so as to explore the underlying mechanism of blood letting in the treatment of LIDP. METHODS: Forty healthy New Zealand rabbits were randomly assigned to control, model, BL40 and non-point (1 cm medial to BL40) groups, with 10 cases in each group. LIDP model was established by pushing the intervertebral disc tissue rightward to protrude the posterior longitudinal ligament with a self-made instrument after exposing the L6-7 vertebrae and intervertebral space. Blood-letting was performed at "Weizhong" (BL40) and non-point by using a triangle-edged needle to prick the local tissue, once daily and continuously for 7 days. SNCV was detected by using BL-410 physiological signal recording system, and the content of IL-1alpha in L6-7 intervertebral disc tissue determined with enzyme linked immunsorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: In comparison with control group and pre-modeling, SNCV decreased significantly in model, BL40 and non-acupoint groups after LIDP; while compared with model group, values of SNCV in BL40 group increased considerably (P<0.05), no significant changes were found between non-acupoint group and model group (P>0.05). Compared with control group, the contents of IL-1alpha in the nucleus pulposus in model and non-acupoint groups increased remarkably (P<0.05, 0.01), but no significant difference was found between control and BL40 groups in IL-1alpha level (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Blood-letting at "Weizhong" (BL40) can relieve LIDP-induced nerve injury and mechanical oppression to improve SNCV, which may be closely related to its effect in decreasing inflammatory factor IL-1alpha level.