Liu Cheng-Yong, Qin Shan, Liu Lan-Ying, He Ya-Min, Wang He-Sheng, Wu Wen-Zhong, Chen Dong, Zhang Cong
Acupuncture and Rehabilitation Department, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China.
Pathology Department, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China.
Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 2017 Apr 25;42(2):153-8.
To observe the effect of acupoint application on transforming growth factor (TGF)-β 1/Smad 3 signaling pathway, so as to reveal its mechanism underlying improvement of airway remodeling in chronic asthma mice.
BALB/c mice were randomly divided into normal group,model group,sham acupoint application group (sham group),acupoint application group, and dexamethasone group (=8 in each group). The chronic asthma model was established by intraperitoneal injection of ovalbumin sensitization. The acupoint application group was treated with plaster composed with White Mustard Seed, Rhizoma Corydalis, Unprocessed Radix Kansui, and Herba Asari, on bilateral "Feishu" (BL 13), "Xinshu" (BL 15) and "Geshu" (BL 17) points, 6 hours a day for 14 days. The sham group was treated with plaster containing vaseline on bilateral BL 13, BL 15 and BL 17, 6 hours a day for 14 days. The dexamethasone group was treated with dexamethasone 1 mg·kg·day intraperi-toneally, once daily for 14 days. At the end of treatment, airway resistance was detected by mouse lung function instrument. Patho-logical changes of airway were observed under light microscope after hematoxylin-eosin staining, and the morphological parameters were measured by image analysis software. Immunohistochemistry method was used to detect the expression of TGF-β 1 and Smad 3 in the lung tissue of mice.
Compared with the normal group, the airway resistance, the total bronchial wall area (WAt)/lumen perimeter (Pi), the smooth muscle wall area (WAm)/Pi, and the expression of TGF-β 1 and Smad 3 in the lung tissues were significantly higher in the model and sham groups (<0.01). Compared with the model group and the sham group, the airway resistance, WAt/Pi, WAm/Pi, the expression of TGF-β 1 and Smad 3 in the lung tissues were decreased in the acupoint application group and the dexamethasone group (<0.05). There were no significant differences between the acupoint application group and the dexamethasone group in the above mentioned indexes (>0.05).
Acupoint application can improve airway remodeling by down-regulating the expression of TGF-β 1/Smad 3 in the airway of chronic asthmatic mice.
观察穴位敷贴对转化生长因子（TGF）-β1/Smad 3信号通路的影响，以揭示其改善慢性哮喘小鼠气道重塑的机制。
将BALB/c小鼠随机分为正常组、模型组、假穴位敷贴组（假穴组）、穴位敷贴组和地塞米松组（每组n = 8）。通过腹腔注射卵清蛋白致敏建立慢性哮喘模型。穴位敷贴组用由白芥子、延胡索、生甘遂、细辛组成的药膏贴于双侧“肺俞”（BL 13）、“心俞”（BL 15）和“膈俞”（BL 17）穴，每天6小时，共14天。假穴组用含凡士林的药膏贴于双侧BL 13、BL 15和BL 17，每天6小时，共14天。地塞米松组腹腔注射地塞米松1 mg·kg·d，每天1次，共14天。治疗结束后，用小鼠肺功能仪检测气道阻力。苏木精-伊红染色后在光镜下观察气道病理变化，并用图像分析软件测量形态学参数。采用免疫组织化学方法检测小鼠肺组织中TGF-β1和Smad 3的表达。
与正常组比较，模型组和假穴组气道阻力、总支气管壁面积（WAt）/管腔周长（Pi）、平滑肌壁面积（WAm）/Pi以及肺组织中TGF-β1和Smad 3的表达均显著升高（P<0.01）。与模型组和假穴组比较，穴位敷贴组和地塞米松组气道阻力、WAt/Pi、WAm/Pi以及肺组织中TGF-β1和Smad 3的表达均降低（P<0.05）。穴位敷贴组和地塞米松组上述指标比较差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。
穴位敷贴可通过下调慢性哮喘小鼠气道中TGF-β1/Smad 3的表达改善气道重塑。
