Effects of electroacupuncture on Golgi apparatus stress in rats with endotoxin-induced acute lung injury / 中华麻醉学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To evaluate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on Golgi apparatus stress in the rats with endotoxin-induced acute lung injury (ALI).Methods:Twenty clean-grade male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 2 months, weighing 160-185 g, were divided into 4 groups ( n=5 each) according to a random number table method: control group (C group), endotoxin group (LPS group), EA plus endotoxin group (EA+ LPS group), and sham EA plus endotoxin group (SEA+ LPS group).The model of endotoxin-induced ALI was developed by intravenous injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 5 mg/kg in anesthetized animals.Bilateral Zusanli (ST36) and Neiguan (PC6) acupoints were stimulated with an electric stimulator for 30 min once a day at 1-4 days before and during model preparation in group EA+ LPS.In group SEA+ LPS, acupuncture needles were inserted to the surface of ST36 and PC6 acupoints with no current stimulation, and the other parameters were the same as those previously described in group EA+ LPS.Blood samples were collected from the abdominal aorta at 6 h after development of the model for measurement of concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The animals were sacrificed and lungs were removed for microscopic examination of the pathological changes of lung tissues (with a light microscope) and morphological changes of Golgi apparatus (with a transmission electron microscope) and for determination of wet to dry lung weight (W/D) ratio, cell apoptosis index (by TUNEL), activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) (by WST-1 method), content of malondialdehyde (MDA) (by TBA method), and expression of Golgi matrix protein 130 (GM130), Golgin-84 and Golgi phosphoprotein 3 (GOLPH3) protein and mRNA in lung tissues (by Western blot or real-time polymerase chain reaction). Results:Compared with group C, the lung injury score, W/D ratio, cell apoptosis index, serum IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations and MDA content were significantly increased, SOD activity was decreased, the expression of GM130 and Golgin-84 protein and mRNA was down-regulated, the expression of GOLPH3 protein and mRNA was up-regulated ( P<0.05), and Golgi apparatus was swollen and vacuolated in the other three groups.Compared with group LPS, lung injury score, W/D ratio, cell apoptosis index, serum IL-6 and TNF-α concentrations and MDA content were significantly decreased, SOD activity was increased, the expression of GM130 and Golgin-84 protein and mRNA was up-regulated, the expression of GOLPH3 protein and mRNA was down-regulated ( P<0.05), and swelling and vacuolization of Golgi apparatus were reduced in group EA+ LPS, and no significant change was found in the parameters mentioned above in group SEA+ LPS ( P>0.05). Conclusions:The mechanism by which EA reduces endotoxin-induced ALI may be related to inhibition of Golgi apparatus stress in lung tissues of rats.