Liu Xu-Feng, Chen Hong-Yi, Wang Jing, Yun Su, He Xiao-Qian, Tang Xue-Qing, Sui Ming-He
School of Acupuncture-moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Rehabilitation, Beijing Health Vocational College, Beijing 101101.
Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 2019 May 25;44(5):319-23. doi: 10.13702/j.1000-0607.180554.
To observe the effect of acupuncture at "Shenshu"(BL23)-"Taixi"(KI3)on the levels of serum uric acid (SUA) and expression of renal urate-anion transporter 1 (URAT1) and organic anion transporter 1 (OAT1) proteins in hyperuricemia (HUA) rats, so as to explore its underlying mechanisms in improving HUA.
A total of 25 male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups: control (＝6), HUA model (＝7), BL23-KI3 (＝6) and Ganshu (BL18)-Taichong (LR3, BL18-LR3 in short, ＝6). The HUA model was established by gavage of Oteracil Potassium (2 g/kg), once daily for 10 days, then once every other day. For rats of the BL23-KI3 group, BL23 and KI3 were stimulated with filiform needles which were rotated for 10 s at a frequency about 100 r/min, and for rats of the BL18-LR3 group, BL18 and LR3 were stimulated with the same methods to those of the BL23-KI3 group. The treatment of both acupuncture groups was conducted once daily, 6 times a week (except Sundays) for 3 weeks. The contents of SUA and serum creatinine (SCr) were assayed by using an automatic biochemical analyzer. The pathological changes of the right kidney tissue were observed under light microscope after hematoxylin eosin (H.E.) staining, the immunoactivity of URAT1 and OAT1 of the right kidney tissue was determined by immunohistochemistry, and the expression of URAT1 and OAT1 proteins of the left kidney tissue detected by Western blot (WB).
After modeling, the content of SUA and the expression of renal URAT1 protein (shown by both immunoactivity and WB) were significantly increased (<0.01), but that of renal OAT1 protein was obviously decreased in the model group compared with the control group (<0.01). There was no notably change in the level of SCr in the model group relevant to the control group (>0.05). Following acupuncture intervention, the SUA content and URAT1 expression in both BL18-LR3 and BL23-KI3 groups were considerably down-regulated (<0.05, <0.01), and the expression of OAT1 protein in the BL23-KI3 group (not the BL18-LR3 group) were obviously up-regulated relevant to the model group (<0.01). The effects of BL23-KI3 were significant superior to those of BL18-LR3 in down-regulating the expression of URAT1 and up-regulating OAT1 protein (<0.01, <0.05).
Acupuncture of "BL23" and "KI3" can effectively down-regulate SUA level in HUA rats, which may be related to its effects in down-regulating the expression of URAT1 and up-regulating the expression of OAT1 in the kidney tissue.
观察针刺“肾俞”（BL23）-“太溪”（KI3）对高尿酸血症（HUA）大鼠血清尿酸（SUA）水平及肾尿酸盐阴离子转运体1（URAT1）和有机阴离子转运体1（OAT1）蛋白表达的影响，以探讨其改善HUA的潜在机制。
将25只雄性Wistar大鼠分为4组：对照组（n＝6）、HUA模型组（n＝7）、BL23-KI3组（n＝6）和肝俞（BL18）-太冲（LR3，简称BL18-LR3，n＝6）。采用灌胃氧嗪酸钾（2 g/kg）建立HUA模型，每日1次，连续10天，之后隔日1次。对BL23-KI3组大鼠，用毫针针刺BL23和KI3，以约100 r/min的频率捻转10 s；对BL18-LR3组大鼠，针刺BL18和LR3的方法同BL23-KI3组。两组针刺治疗均每日1次，每周6次（周日除外），共3周。采用自动生化分析仪检测SUA和血清肌酐（SCr）含量。苏木精-伊红（H.E.）染色后在光学显微镜下观察右肾组织的病理变化，采用免疫组化法检测右肾组织中URAT1和OAT1的免疫活性，用蛋白质印迹法（WB）检测左肾组织中URAT1和OAT1蛋白的表达。
造模后，模型组SUA含量及肾URAT1蛋白表达（免疫活性和WB均显示）显著升高（P<0.01），但肾OAT1蛋白表达明显降低（P<0.01），与对照组相比，模型组SCr水平无显著变化（P>0.05）。针刺干预后，BL18-LR3组和BL23-KI3组的SUA含量及URAT1表达均明显下调（P<0.05，P<0.01），与模型组相比，BL23-KI3组（而非BL18-LR3组）的OAT1蛋白表达明显上调（P<0.01）。在下调URAT1表达和上调OAT1蛋白表达方面，BL23-KI3组的效果明显优于BL18-LR3组（P<0.01，P<0.05）。
针刺“BL23”和“KI3”可有效降低HUA大鼠的SUA水平，这可能与其下调肾组织中URAT1表达及上调OAT1表达有关。
