Department of Physiology, College of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.
College of Nursing, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China.
Acupunct Med. 2018 Oct;36(5):312-318. doi: 10.1136/acupmed-2017-011391. Epub 2018 Apr 18.
Decreased lung function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is correlated with abnormal excitability of the respiratory centre where orexin neuropeptides from the hypothalamus are responsible for regulating respiration. We hypothesised that improvements in pulmonary function with electroacupuncture (EA) may be related to orexins in a rat model of COPD.
The COPD model was established by cigarette smoke exposure and lipopolysaccharide injection. Modelled rats received EA at BL13 and ST36 for two weeks, after which lung function was tested. Orexin levels in the hypothalamus and medulla were detected by ELISA, while mRNA/protein expression and localisation of orexins and their receptors were investigated using real time PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry, respectively.
The decrease in lung function observed in COPD rats was improved after EA treatment. Orexin levels in the hypothalamus and medulla were significantly higher in COPD rats than in normal rats, but were significantly reduced in the EA-treated group. There was a negative correlation between orexin content and lung function. In the hypothalamus, mRNA and protein expression and immunoreactivity of orexins were significantly higher in the COPD group than in the normal group, but a significant decrease was observed after EA. In the medulla, the expression and immunoreactivity of orexin receptors were significantly higher in the COPD group than in the normal group, but a significant decrease was observed after EA.
The positive effect of EA on pulmonary function in COPD rats may be related to downregulation of orexins and their receptors in the medulla.
慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）患者的肺功能下降与呼吸中枢兴奋性异常有关，而下丘脑的食欲素神经肽负责调节呼吸。我们假设电针（EA）改善 COPD 大鼠模型的肺功能可能与食欲素有关。
通过香烟烟雾暴露和脂多糖注射建立 COPD 模型。模型大鼠接受 BL13 和 ST36 的 EA 治疗两周，然后测试肺功能。通过 ELISA 检测下丘脑和延髓中的食欲素水平，通过实时 PCR、Western blot 和免疫组织化学分别检测食欲素及其受体的 mRNA/蛋白表达和定位。
EA 治疗后 COPD 大鼠的肺功能下降得到改善。与正常大鼠相比，COPD 大鼠下丘脑和延髓中的食欲素水平显著升高，但 EA 治疗组显著降低。食欲素含量与肺功能呈负相关。下丘脑内，COPD 组的食欲素 mRNA 和蛋白表达及免疫反应性明显高于正常组，但 EA 后明显降低。在延髓中，COPD 组的食欲素受体表达和免疫反应性明显高于正常组，但 EA 后明显降低。
EA 对 COPD 大鼠肺功能的积极影响可能与下调延髓中的食欲素及其受体有关。
