Effect of “Warming Yang and Nourishing Qi”Acupuncture on AChR mRNA expression in neuromuscular junction of rats with experimental autoimmune myasthenis gravis / 吉林大学学报(医学版)

ABSTRACT

Objective:To observe the effect of “Warming Yang and Nourishing Qi” Acupuncture on the acetylcholine receptor (AchR)mRNA expression in neuromuscular junction (NMJ)of the rats with experimental autoimmune myasthenis gravis (EAMG), and to analyze the mechanism of acupuncture treatment for EAMG. Methods:AchRα1 129-145 peptide fragments were used to immune the 60 female Lewis rats to establish the EAMG rat models. 30 EAMG rats were selected randomly and divided into model control group,acupuncture treatment group and drug control group (n = 10).Another 10 SPF- “grade three”female Lewis rats,which were raised together with EAMG rats,were used as blank control group. The rats in model control group and blank control group had no treatment.The rats in acupuncture treatment group were treated with “Warming Yang and Nourishing Qi”Acupuncture.The rats in drug control group were treated with pyridostigmine bromide by gavage. The tissue samples in NMJ of gastrocnemius of the rats were collected,and the expression levels of AChR mRNA were detected with Real-time PCR method; the differences among various groups were analyzed quantitatively. Results:Compared with blank control group,the expression levels ofγ-AChR mRNA andε-AChR mRNA in NMJ of the rats in acupuncture treatment group drug control group and model control group were significantly increased (P <0.01).Compared with model control group,theγ-AChR mRNA andε-AChR mRNA in NMJ of the rats in drug acupuncture treatment group and control group were significantly increased (P < 0.01 ). Conclusion:“Warming Yang and Nourishing Qi”Acupuncture can effectively improve the expression level of AchR mRNA and it is an effective treatment method for myasthenia gravis.