Wang Yu-Jia, Yu Qian-Hui, Lu Yu-Wei, Zhang Qian, Hou Xun-Rui, Zhou Yu-Ling, Li Li-Hong
Clinical Medical College, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China.
Clinical Medical College, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550004, China; College of Acu-moxibustion and Tuina, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun 130117.
Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 2022 Jun 25;47(6):525-30. doi: 10.13702/j.1000-0607.20211375.
To observe the effect of moxibustion combined with acupoint catgut embedding on the content of interleukin 6 (IL-6), and the expressions of janus activated kinase (JAK), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in colonic mucosa of rats with ulcerative colitis (UC), so as to explore its mechanism underlying improvement of UC.
Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into normal, model, acupoint catgut embedding (ACE), moxibustion and acupoint catgut embedding combined with moxibustion (combination) groups (=6 rats in each group). The UC model was established by enema of trinitro-benzene-sulfonic acid and ethanol. Moxibustion was applied to bilateral "Tianshu" (ST25), "Dachangshu" (BL25) and "Shangjuxu" (ST37) for 10 min, once daily for 14 days, and ACE applied to the same 3 acupoints, once a week for two weeks. After the treatment, colonic mucosal pathological changes were observed by H.E. staining, the level of IL-6 in colonic mucosa was assayed by ELISA, and the expressions of JAK and STAT3 in colonic mucosa were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot.
H.E. staining showed severe defect of the colonic mucosal epithelium with infiltration of a large number of inflammatory cells in the model group, which was milder in moxibustion, ACE and combination groups. After modeling, the content of colonic IL-6, and the expression levels of JAK and STAT3 were obviously increased (<0.01) in the model group relevant to the normal group. Following the intervention, the increase of IL-6 contents, and JAK and STAT3 expressions were reversed (<0.05, <0.01) in moxibustion, ACE and combination groups. The therapeutic effects of moxibustion combined with ACE were considerably superior to those of simple ACE and simple moxibustion in down-regulating the levels of JAK and STAT3 expression (<0.01).
Acupoint catgut embedding combined with moxibustion can repair the injured colonic mucosa of UC rats, which may be related with its effect in suppressing the activation of IL-6/JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway.
观察艾灸联合穴位埋线对溃疡性结肠炎（UC）大鼠结肠黏膜白细胞介素6（IL-6）含量及janus激酶（JAK）、信号转导子和转录激活子3（STAT3）表达的影响，以探讨其改善UC的作用机制。
将30只SD大鼠随机分为正常组、模型组、穴位埋线组（ACE）、艾灸组和艾灸联合穴位埋线组（联合组），每组6只。采用三硝基苯磺酸和乙醇灌肠法建立UC模型。艾灸双侧“天枢”（ST25）、“大肠俞”（BL25）和“上巨虚”（ST37）10分钟，每日1次，共14天；穴位埋线组于相同3个穴位埋线，每周1次，共2周。治疗后，采用苏木精-伊红（H.E.）染色观察结肠黏膜病理变化，采用酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）法检测结肠黏膜IL-6水平，采用免疫组织化学和蛋白质印迹法检测结肠黏膜JAK和STAT3的表达。
H.E.染色显示，模型组结肠黏膜上皮严重缺损，大量炎性细胞浸润，艾灸组、穴位埋线组和联合组病变较轻。造模后，模型组结肠IL-6含量及JAK和STAT3表达水平较正常组明显升高（<0.01）。干预后，艾灸组、穴位埋线组和联合组IL-6含量及JAK和STAT3表达的升高得到逆转（<0.05，<0.01）。艾灸联合穴位埋线组在下调JAK和STAT3表达水平方面的治疗效果明显优于单纯穴位埋线组和单纯艾灸组（<0.01）。
穴位埋线联合艾灸可修复UC大鼠受损的结肠黏膜，其机制可能与抑制IL-6/JAK/STAT3信号通路的激活有关。
