Molecular mechanism of acupoint catgut-embedding for experimental colitis in rats / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effect and its mechanism of acupoint catgut-embedding for experimental colitis in rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighteen SD rats were randomly divided into a normal control (NC) group, a model (MO) group and a acupoint catgut-embedding (AC) group, 6 rats in each group. Animals in MO group and AC group were treated by trinitro-benzene-sulfonic acid (TNBS) to establish model with colitis. No other treatment was given to the rats in MO group, but acupoint catgut-embedding was implanted at "Shangjuxu" (ST 37), "Tianshu" (ST 25) and "Dachangshu" (BL 25) in the rats in AC group. The symptoms of diarrhea and bloody stool, and histopathology changes in colon were observed 15 days after the treatment. Expression of IL-17, beta2AR, NFkappaBp65 were observed by immunohistochemistry. Expressions of NF-kappaBp65 and beta2AR in splenic lymphocyte were detected by the Western blot method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Diarrhea and mucus bloody purulent stool were soon controlled, and colon mucosa injures were obviously improved in AC group. The NF-kappaBp65 value in splenic lymphocytes of 249.70 +/- 13.66 in MO) group was higher than 86.22 +/- 8.09 in NC group (P < 0.01), and 219.02 +/- 7.42 in AC group was less than that in MO group (P < 0.01). The expression of beta2AR in splenic lymphocytes of 594.97 +/- 173.22 in MO group was less than 957.45 +/- 171.56 in NC group (P < 0.01), and 1335.93 +/- 244.34 in AC group was higher than that in MO group (P < 0.01). The expression of IL-17 in colon mucosa in MO group was increased, while the expression of IL-17 in colon mucosa in AC group was decreased.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupoint catgut-embedding at Shangjuxu (ST 37), Tianshu (ST 25) and Dachangshu (BL 25) has obviously effect in treating experimental colitis and the mechanism may be related to regulate the expression of IL-17, beta2AR and NF-kappaBp65.</p>

Effects of electroacupuncture at points "Weibingfang" on EGF and EGFR mRNA expressions in rats with lesion of gastric mucosa / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To probe the mechanism of electroacupuncture at points "Weibingfang" in treatment of acute gastric mucosal lesion.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty Wistar rats of sanitary degree were randomly divided into 4 groups, normal group, model group, sham-model group and Weibingfang group, 10 rats in each group. The acute gastric mucosal lesion model was made by intragastric perfusion of anhydrous alcohol. The Weibingfang group were treated by electroacupuncture at "Neiguan" (PC 6), "Zhongwan" (CV 12) and "Zusanli" (ST 36) with sparse-dense wave, frequency of 10-30 Hz, current intensity of 2 mA, for 20 min. One hour after the treatment, the blood from the abdominal aorta and the gastric mucosa tissue were taken, and serum epidermal growth factor (EGF) level and epidermic growth factor receptor mRNA (EGFR mRNA) expression in the gastric mucosa were detected with enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) respectively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were significant differences in blood EGF level (41.62 +/- 12.58) ng/L and EGFR mRNA expression (0.78 +/- 0.03) in the model group were significantly different from [(60.37 +/- 12.01) ng/L and 0.55 +/- 0.04] in the normal group and [(61.21 +/- 13.46) ng/L and 0.53 +/- 0.05] in the sham-model group (P < 0.05); after electroacupuncture, blood EGF level (70.59 +/- 10.14) ng/L increased and the EGFR mRNA expression (1.18 +/- 0.02) in the gastric mucosa was up-regulated with a significant differences as compared with those in the model group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Point "Weibingfang" can promote proliferation, differentiation and migration of the gastric mucosal epidermic cells to repair the gastric mucosal lesion.</p>