Electroacupuncture promotes a decrease in inflammatory response associated with Th1/Th2 cytokines, nitric oxide and leukotriene B4 modulation in experimental asthma.

Previously, we have shown that electroacupuncture (EA) in rats decreased eosinophil infiltration into the pulmonary tissue (PT) and in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in an experimental model of asthma. Th2 cytokines, leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and nitric oxide (NO) are involved in the asthma inflammatory process. The aim of this study was to verify the effects of EA on these asthma mediators. Male Wistar rats were divided into control (C), immobilized (I), sham acupuncture (SA), and acupuncture (A) groups. All rats were sensitized, and EA treatment using clinical acupuncture points was started 24h after antigen priming. EA was done every other day for 2weeks. Subsequently, animals were challenged by inhalation and sacrificed 24h later. At this time, the BAL and lungs were collected and used to analyze cytokine production, LTB4 and NO. The EA increased IL-1 and IFN-gamma and decreased IL-4, IL-10, NO and LTB4 in the BAL and PT compared to the C and SA groups. The presence of eosinophils in the BAL negatively correlated with IL-1 and IFN-gamma production and positively correlated with IL-4 and IL-10 production. Our results show that the beneficial anti-inflammatory action of EA on asthma is related to the balance of the Thl/Th2 response and the reduction of LTB4 and NO. These results suggest that EA therapy could be an important complementary treatment for asthma.

Rice bran supplementation during nutritional recovery period of malnourished rats improves colon development.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the colon's development in rats subjected to protein energy malnutrition followed by supplementation with rice bran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Weaned Wistar male rats (21 days old), weight (40-50 g) were divided into two groups: diet with 17% protein (C; control group) or an aproteic diet (A; aproteic group), for 12 days. After this, 50% of the rats from each group were sacrificed. The remaining rats were further distributed in the three groups for a recovery (21 days): control (C) continued to receive the control diet whereas the aproteic group (A) received either a control diet (AC) or a control diet supplemented with 5% of rice bran (ARB). RESULTS: The A group showed alterations in the colon and cecum, excreted dry feces mass and fecal nitrogen, compared with C rats. In the proximal colon of A rats, the external muscularis and the width of the colon wall were higher whereas in the distal colon they were lower than C. After the recovery period, the relative cecum mass, colon mass and colon length of the recovered groups (AC and ARB) were higher than in the C group. Dry feces and fecal nitrogen excreted of the rats from recovered groups were lower than C group. Colon length of the AC group was lower than in the C group. Only the crypt's depth from ARB group was higher than in the C group. CONCLUSION: Control diet supplemented with 5% rice bran, reestablished the large intestine of aproteic rats. The recovery in the ARB group was even better than in the AC rats.