[Effect of "joint treatment of lung and intestine" with moxibustion on lung function and airway inflammation in asthmatic rats].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the role of moxibustion of "Feishu" (BL13)，"Tianshu" (ST25) for asthma by simultaneously treating lung and intestine (i.e., treating both lung and intestine at the same time) in asthmatic rats.

METHODS

A total of 48 SD rats were randomly divided into normal, model, lung treatment and joint-treatment of lung and intestine (joint-treatment) groups, with 12 rats in each. The asthma model was established by subcutaneous (bilateral back and inguinal regions) and intraperitoneal injection of mixture solution of albumin and Aluminium Hydroxide gel (on day 1, and 9) and followed by inhalation of atomized 1% ovalbumin (on day 15, 20 min each time, once daily for 1 week). Moxibustion was applied to bilateral BL13 for rats of the lung treatment group or bilateral BL13 and ST25 for rats of the joint-treatment group. One hour after the intervention, the rats in the later three groups were separately given nebulized 1% ovalbumin solution inhalation for 20 min. The treatments were conducted once daily for 14 consecutive days. After intervention, the lung functions including the forced expiratory flow 25% (FEF 25%), maximal mid-expiratory flow (MMEF), dynamic lung compliance (Cdyn), forced expiratory volume/ forced vital capacity (FEV/FVC), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and lung resistance (RL) were measured by using a small animal lung function detector, and pathological changes and collagen deposition in the lung tissues were observed by H.E. and Masson staining, separately. The levels of interleukin (IL)-17, IL-4, IL-13, IL-33, IL-5, leukotriene (LT) and thymic stromal lymphocyte (TSLP) in the lung tissue were measured by ELISA.

RESULTS

Compared with the normal group, the FEF 25%, MMEF， Cdyn， FEV/FVC and PEF were significantly decreased (<0.05, <0.01)， and the pulmonary RL, collagen deposition, and contents of IL-17, IL-4, IL-13, IL-33, IL-5, TSLP and LT were notably increased (<0.05, <0.01) in the model group. After intervention, the MMEF and Cdyn in the lung treatment group, PEF, MMEF, Cdyn, FEV/FVC, FEF 25% in the joint-treatment group, were markedly increased (<0.05, <0.01), whereas the collagen deposition, IL-17, IL-4 and TSLP in both the lung treatment and joint-treatment groups, RL, IL-13, IL-33, IL-5 and LT in the joint-treatment group were considerably down-regulated (<0.05, <0.01). The effects of the joint treatment were apparently superior to those of lung treatment in down-regulating the contents of TSLP and LT (<0.05, <0.01). H.E. staining showed thickened alveolar wall, infiltration of a large number of inflammatory cells in the bronchus of the model group, which was relatively milder in the joint-treatment group.

CONCLUSION

"Joint treatment of lung and intestine" with moxibustion is superior to "lung treatment" alone in ameliorating the lung function and mitigating airway inflammation in rats with asthma.