Electro-acupuncture regulates the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway in a rat model of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
J Integr Med
; 16(6): 418-426, 2018 Nov.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-30341024
OBJECTIVE: Acupuncture has a definite therapeutic effect on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway (CAP) has been shown to be involved in regulation of inflammation. In this study, we investigated whether electro-acupuncture (EA) affects the CAP in COPD. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were induced into COPD through exposure to cigarette smoke combined with lipopolysaccharide. EA treatment was applied at Zusanli (ST36) and Feishu (BL13) points for 30â¯min/d for 7â¯d. Seventy-two rats were randomly divided into six study groups, including normal, normalâ¯+â¯EA, normalâ¯+â¯α-bungarotoxin (α-BGT) (the antagonist of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α7 subunit (α7nAChR))â¯+â¯EA, COPD, COPDâ¯+â¯EA, and COPDâ¯+â¯α-BGTâ¯+â¯EA. Lung function, pathology and vagus nerve discharge were tested. The levels of acetylcholine (ACh), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissue were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The mRNA and protein expression and immunoreactivity of α7nAChR and its postreceptor inflammation signal pathway, including janus kinase 2 (JAK2), signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), were observed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, Western blot and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Compared with normal rats, there were a significant decline in lung function and discharge of the vagus nerve (Pâ¯<â¯0.01), a marked sign of lung inflammation and an increase of ACh, AChE, IL-6 and TNF-α level in BALF or lung tissue (Pâ¯<â¯0.05, Pâ¯<â¯0.01) and higher expression of α7nAChR, JAK2, STAT3 and NF-κB (Pâ¯<â¯0.05, Pâ¯<â¯0.01) in the COPD rats. In rats receiving EA, the lung function and vagal discharge were enhanced (Pâ¯<â¯0.01), lung inflammation was improved and the levels of ACh, AChE, IL-6 and TNF-α were decreased (Pâ¯<â¯0.01). Further, the expression of α7nAChR, JAK2, STAT3 and NF-κB was downregulated (Pâ¯<â¯0.05, Pâ¯<â¯0.01). However, the above effects of EA were blocked in rats injected with α-BGT (Pâ¯<â¯0.01). CONCLUSION: EA treatment can reduce the lung inflammatory response and improve lung function in COPD, which may be related to its involvement in the regulation of CAP.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Acetylcholine
/
Electroacupuncture
/
Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive
Type of study:
Prognostic_studies
Limits:
Animals
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
En
Journal:
J Integr Med
Year:
2018
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
China
Country of publication:
Netherlands