Li Yue-Mei, Ling Cui-Min
Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2014 Apr;34(4):379-83.
To explore the mechanism of natural moxibustion on regulating immune imbalance in asthma rats.
Seventy SD male rats were divided into a normal group, a placebo group, a dexamethasone group, a big-cake for long-course moxibustion group, a big-cake for short-course moxibustion group, a small-cake for long-course moxibustion group and a small-cake for short-course moxibustion group, ten rats in each one. The rat model of asthma was established by egg albumen sensitization and stimulation in all the groups except the normal group. The natural moxibustion was used in all moxibustion groups, in which big cake of 1 cmX 1 cm size was used in the big-cake groups and small cake of 0.5 cmX 0. 5 cm size was used in the small cake groups. According to relevant acupoints, the natural moxibustion was performed, 5 h per time, once a day. Four times of treatment was considered one course, and three courses were required in the long-course groups and one course was required in the short-course groups. Intraperitoneal injection of dexamethasone was applied in the dexamethasone group, which had the same course as long-course moxibustion group. After the treatment, changes of EOS in peripheral blood of asthma rats were observed; enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was applied to test the contents of IgE, IL-4 and IFN-gamma in the lung tissue; real-time Q-PCR method was adopted to measure the expression level of transcription factor T-bet and GATA binding protein 3 (GATA-3) in the lung tissue.
Compared with the normal group, the EOS in whole blood as well as IL-4 and IgE in plasma were all increased in the placebo group (all P< 0. 01), IFN-gamma in plasma was obviously decreased (P<0. 01); while the levels of EOS, IgE and IL-4 were significantly reduced (all P<0. 01), the content of IFN-gamma was increased (P<0. 01) in all moxibustion groups and dexametnasone group. Compared with the normal group, the expression of T-bet mRNA in the placebo group was significantly reduced (P<0. 01). Each treatment group could significantly increase the expression of T-bet mRNA and reduce that of GATA-3 mRNA (P<0. 01). Compared with the short-course moxibustion groups, the expression of T-bet mRNA was obviously increased in the long-course moxibustion group and dexamethasone group (both P<0.01), and that of GATA-3 mRNA was reduced (P<0.01). There was no significant difference between long-course moxibustion group and dexamethasone group (P> 0. 05), and also no significant difference could be seen between big-cake moxibustion group and small-cake moxibustion group (P>0. 05).
The natural moxibustion could obviously reduce airway inflammation in asthma rats. With time passing, the efficacy is enhanced, indicating evident timeliness, which has no apparent relationship with the size of moxibustion cake.
探讨自然艾灸调节哮喘大鼠免疫失衡的机制。
将70只雄性SD大鼠分为正常组、安慰剂组、地塞米松组、大艾炷长疗程艾灸组、大艾炷短疗程艾灸组、小艾炷长疗程艾灸组和小艾炷短疗程艾灸组，每组10只。除正常组外，其余各组均采用卵白蛋白致敏和激发的方法建立哮喘大鼠模型。所有艾灸组均采用自然艾灸，其中大艾炷组使用1 cm×1 cm大小的艾炷，小艾炷组使用0.5 cm×0.5 cm大小的艾炷。根据相关穴位进行自然艾灸，每次5小时，每天1次。4次治疗为1个疗程，长疗程组需治疗3个疗程，短疗程组需治疗1个疗程。地塞米松组采用腹腔注射地塞米松，疗程与长疗程艾灸组相同。治疗后，观察哮喘大鼠外周血中嗜酸性粒细胞（EOS）的变化；采用酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）法检测肺组织中免疫球蛋白E（IgE）、白细胞介素-4（IL-4）和干扰素-γ（IFN-γ）的含量；采用实时荧光定量聚合酶链反应（Q-PCR）法检测肺组织中转录因子T盒转录因子（T-bet）和GATA结合蛋白3（GATA-3）的表达水平。
与正常组比较，安慰剂组全血EOS及血浆IL-4、IgE均升高（均P<0.01），血浆IFN-γ明显降低（P<0.01）；各艾灸组及地塞米松组EOS、IgE、IL-4水平均显著降低（均P<0.01），IFN-γ含量升高（P<0.01）。与正常组比较，安慰剂组T-bet mRNA表达明显降低（P<0.01）。各治疗组均可显著增加T-bet mRNA表达，降低GATA-3 mRNA表达（P<0.01）。与短疗程艾灸组比较，长疗程艾灸组和地塞米松组T-bet mRNA表达明显升高（均P<0.01），GATA-3 mRNA表达降低（P<0.01）。长疗程艾灸组与地塞米松组比较差异无统计学意义（P>0.05），大艾炷艾灸组与小艾炷艾灸组比较差异亦无统计学意义（P>0.05）。
自然艾灸可明显减轻哮喘大鼠气道炎症，且随着时间延长疗效增强，时效性明显，与艾炷大小无明显关系。
