Kim Hyun-Woo, Roh Dae-Hyun, Yoon Seo-Yeon, Kang Seuk-Yun, Kwon Young-Bae, Han Ho-Jae, Lee Hye-Jung, Choi Sun-Mi, Ryu Yeon-Hee, Beitz Alvin J, Lee Jang-Hern
Department of Veterinary Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.
J Altern Complement Med. 2006 Jan-Feb;12(1):39-44. doi: 10.1089/acm.2006.12.39.
Although acupuncture has been widely used for complementary therapeutic approaches to treat inflammatory diseases and inflammation-induced pain, the potential anti-inflammatory effects of acupuncture treatment remain controversial in clinical trials, and the underlying mechanisms are still unclear.
The objective was to determine whether electroacupuncture (EA) is able to suppress the peripheral inflammatory response (e.g., zymosan-induced leukocyte migration into air pouch). As part of a mechanistic approach, it was further evaluated whether endogenous opioid systems are involved in the "EA-induced anti-inflammatory effect" (EA-AI).
EA (1 or 120 Hz) was performed bilaterally in the Zusanli acupoint (ST36) or in a nonacupoint (gluteal muscle) for 30 min in ICR mice under anesthetic condition. The number of leukocytes that migrated into the air pouch was counted 4 hours after zymosan injection. EA was performed at 0, 0.5, 1, or 2 hours prior to zymosan injection, respectively. To evaluate opioid involvement in EA-AI, intrathecal naloxone (36 microg/mouse) and intraperitoneal naloxone methiodide (30 mg/kg) were administered 10 min before EA stimulation.
Both the 1 and 120 Hz frequencies of EA into Zusanli acupoint at the same time with zymosan injection significantly reduced leukocyte migration into the air pouch as compared with those of control groups (i.e., anesthetic control and needling control into Zusanli acupoint without electrical stimulation). The EA stimulation into nonacupoint did not produce any significant anti-inflammatory effect. EA treatment at 0.5 hours prior to zymosan injection also produced an anti-inflammatory effect but 1 and 2 hours prior to zymosan injection did not elicit any effect. Peripheral opioid blockage significantly reversed EA-AI, whereas spinal opioid blockage did not alter EA-AI.
EA can suppress peripheral inflammation through a peripheral opioid mechanism. To achieve the full effectiveness of EA, repeated application is recommended for the treatment of a variety of inflammatory diseases.
尽管针灸已被广泛用于辅助治疗炎症性疾病和炎症引起的疼痛，但针灸治疗的潜在抗炎作用在临床试验中仍存在争议，其潜在机制尚不清楚。
确定电针（EA）是否能够抑制外周炎症反应（如酵母聚糖诱导的白细胞迁移至气囊肿）。作为一种机制性研究方法的一部分，进一步评估内源性阿片系统是否参与“电针诱导的抗炎作用”（EA-AI）。
在麻醉状态下，对ICR小鼠双侧足三里穴（ST36）或非穴位（臀肌）进行30分钟的EA（1或120Hz）。在注射酵母聚糖4小时后，计数迁移至气囊肿的白细胞数量。EA分别在注射酵母聚糖前0、0.5、1或2小时进行。为评估阿片类物质在EA-AI中的作用，在EA刺激前10分钟鞘内注射纳洛酮（36μg/小鼠）和腹腔注射甲基碘化纳洛酮（30mg/kg）。
与对照组（即麻醉对照组和无电刺激的足三里穴针刺对照组）相比，在注射酵母聚糖的同时对足三里穴进行1Hz和120Hz频率的EA均显著减少了白细胞向气囊肿的迁移。对非穴位进行EA刺激未产生任何显著的抗炎作用。在注射酵母聚糖前0.5小时进行EA治疗也产生了抗炎作用，但在注射酵母聚糖前1小时和2小时进行EA治疗未产生任何作用。外周阿片类物质阻断显著逆转了EA-AI，而脊髓阿片类物质阻断未改变EA-AI。
EA可通过外周阿片类物质机制抑制外周炎症。为使EA充分发挥疗效，建议在治疗各种炎症性疾病时重复应用。
