Effects of electroacupuncture on mitochondrial fusion-fission during endotoxin-induced acute lung injury in rabbits / 中华麻醉学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on mitochondrial fusionfission during endotoxin-induced acute lung injury (ALI) in rabbits.Methods Sixty clean-grade New Zealand white rabbits,aged 2 months,weighing 1.5-2.0 kg,were divided into 4 groups (n=15 each) using a random number tablecontrol group (group C),ALI group,EA at non-acupoint plus ALI group (group SEAM+ALI) and EA at acupoint plus ALI group (group EAM+ALI).Endotoxin-induced ALI was induced by injecting lipopolysaccharide 5 mg/kg (in 2 ml of 0.9％ normal saline) via the auricular vein in ALI,SEAM+ALI and EAM+ALI groups.At 4,3,2 and 1 days and 30 min before lipopolysaccharide injection,bilateral Zusanli (ST36) and Feishu (BL13) acupoints were stimulated with an electric stimulator for 30 min in group EAM+ALI,and EA was performed for 30 min at the points 1 cm lateral to the acupoints of Zusanli and Feishu in group SEAM+ALI.The animals were sacrificed at 6 h after lipopolysaccharide injection and the lungs were removed for microscopic examination of the pathological changes (with a light microscope) and mitochondrial ultrastructure (with an electron microscope) and for determination of ROS and ATP contents and expression of Mfn1,Mfn2,optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) and dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) protein and mRNA in lung tissues (by real-time polymerase chain reaction or Western blot).Results Compared with group C,ATP content was significantly decreased,ROS content was increased,the expression of Mfn1,Mfn2 and OPA1 protein and mRNA was down-regulated,and the expression of Drp1 protein and mRNA was up-regulated in ALI,SEAM +ALI and EAM +ALI groups (P＜ 0.05).Compared with group ALI,ATP content was significantly increased,the expression of Mfn1,Mfn2 and OPA1 protein and mRNA was up-regulated,and the expression of Drp1 protein and mRNA was down-regulated in SEAM+ ALI and EAM+ALI groups,and ROS content was decreased in group EAM+ALI (P＜0.05).Compared with group SEAM+ALI,ATP content was significantly increased,ROS content was decreased,the expression of Mfn1,Mfn2 and OPA1 protein and mRNA was up-regulated,and the expression of Drp1 protein and mRNA was down-regulated in group EAM+ALI (P＜0.05).Conclusion The mechanism by which EA mitigates endotoxin-induced ALI may be related to promoting mitochondrial fusion and inhibiting mitochondrial fission in rabbits.