Guan Jin-Shuai, Liu Xue-Mei, Fan Tao, Mao Bing
Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Sichuan Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban. 2019 Mar;50(2):203-209.
To explore the mechanism of acupuncture in regulating chronic inflammation through dopamine in rats with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
32 SD rats were randomly divided into control, model, sham acupuncture and acupuncture groups (n=8) . COPD condition was induced by eight-week exposure to cigarette smoking and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of the rats, except for those in the control group. From the beginning of the 7th week, the acupuncture group received bilateral electroacupuncture on the Zusanli (ST-36), while the sham acupuncture group received bilateral electroacupuncture on the non-points, 30 min/time, 1/day, for 2 weeks prior to exposure to cigarette smoking. Post treatment changes in plasma dopamine and inflammatory factors [tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8)], lung function [total lung capacity (TLC), functional residual capacity (FRC), the 50 μs forced expiratory volume (FEV) vs. forced vital capacity (FVC)( FEV/FVC), the 100 μs FEV vs. FVC (FEV/FVC), total airway resistance (RL), lung dynamic compliance (Cdyn)], and the ratio of total alveolus area to tissue area (A/t) and cell counts in the alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured. Pearson correlations between plasma dopamine and the above indicators were calculated.
Acupuncture increased plasma dopamine and improved the inflammatory factors, lung function, A/t and BALF cell counts. Compared with the model rats, the rats that received acupuncture had higher levels of TNF-α and IL-1β, A/t and BALF cell counts, and lung function (FEV/FVC, FEV/FVC, RL, Cdyn) (<0.05). The effects of acupuncture were superior on the ST-36 points compared with the non-points. Significant correlations between lung function (FRC, RL, Cdyn) and inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8) were found (<0.001) . TLC was correlated with IL-8, IL-1β and A/t (<0.05). Plasma dopamine was correlated with FRC, TLC, FEV/FVC, FEV/FVC (<0.05).
Acupuncture can alleviate inflammation, improve lung function and raise plasma dopamine level in COPD rats, and the effect of acupuncture on lung function may be related to reducing inflammatory factors and increasing dopamine level.
探讨针刺通过多巴胺调节慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）大鼠慢性炎症的机制。
将32只SD大鼠随机分为对照组、模型组、假针刺组和针刺组（n = 8）。除对照组大鼠外，其余大鼠通过八周暴露于香烟烟雾和脂多糖（LPS）诱导COPD状态。从第7周开始，针刺组大鼠在双侧足三里（ST - 36）进行电针治疗，而假针刺组大鼠在非穴位进行双侧电针治疗，每次30分钟，每天1次，在暴露于香烟烟雾前持续2周。治疗后测量血浆多巴胺和炎症因子[肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）、白细胞介素-1β（IL-1β）、白细胞介素-6（IL-6）、白细胞介素-8（IL-8）]、肺功能[肺总量（TLC）、功能残气量（FRC）、50微秒用力呼气量（FEV）与用力肺活量（FVC）之比（FEV/FVC）、100微秒FEV与FVC之比（FEV/FVC）、总气道阻力（RL）、肺动态顺应性（Cdyn）]，以及肺泡灌洗液（BALF）中总肺泡面积与组织面积之比（A/t）和细胞计数。计算血浆多巴胺与上述指标之间的Pearson相关性。
针刺可增加血浆多巴胺水平，并改善炎症因子、肺功能、A/t和BALF细胞计数。与模型大鼠相比，接受针刺的大鼠TNF-α、IL-1β水平、A/t和BALF细胞计数以及肺功能（FEV/FVC、FEV/FVC、RL、Cdyn）更高（P < 0.05）。与非穴位相比，针刺对ST - 36穴位的效果更佳。发现肺功能（FRC、RL、Cdyn）与炎症因子（TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6、IL-8）之间存在显著相关性（P < 0.001）。TLC与IL-8、IL-1β和A/t相关（P < 0.05）。血浆多巴胺与FRC、TLC、FEV/FVC、FEV/FVC相关（P < 0.05）。
针刺可减轻COPD大鼠的炎症，改善肺功能并提高血浆多巴胺水平，针刺对肺功能的影响可能与降低炎症因子和增加多巴胺水平有关。
