[Study on the mechanism of acupoint sticking therapy with Chuan fuling for treatment of asthma model rats].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the mechanism of the acupoint sticking therapy with Chuanfuling for preventing and treating asthma.


METHODS
Thirty male SD rats were randomly divided into a control group (normal saline, p.i. +no acupoint sticking+ normal saline, spray inhalation), model group (normal saline with ovalbumin, p.i. +no acupoint sticking+ normal saline with ovalbumin, spray inhalation), and acupoint sticking group (normal saline with ovalbumin, p.i. +acupoint sticking with Chuan fuling+normal saline with ovalbumin, spray inhalation), 10 rats in each group. The incubation period of nodding breath, symptom of asthmatic attack, expression level of interleukin-4 mRNA (IL-4 mRNA) and interferon-gamma mRNA (IF-gamma mRNA), as well as pathological changes on the middle leaf of right lung, were observed in each group.


RESULTS
(1) Comparing with the control group, the model group was showed that the expression level of IL-4 mRNA in the peripheral blood cells (PBMC) was increased, while hyperemia, edema and eosinocyte (EOS) invasion of lung tissue was more serious (P < 0.01). (2) Comparing with the model group, the acupoint sticking group was showed that the expression level of IL-4 mRNA in PBMC was decreased, the incubation period of nodding breath was prolonged for induced asthma on the fifth and seventh time with lower frequency, while in the lung tissue EOS invasion was reduced (P < 0.05), but there were no significant changes on the hyperemia and edema (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Acupoint sticking for treating asthma of model rats with Chuanfuling can inhibit the expression level of IL-4 mRNA in PBMC, and the release of the inflammatory mediator and cytokine from the EOS to the air passage, in order to reduce the injury of epithelial layer and high reaction on the air passage.
Xiang
Xi-xiong
XX
Department of Pediatrics, Hubei Hospital of TCM, Wuhan 430061, China. whxxn@163.com
Zhang
Jing-ying
JY
Si
Yin-mei
YM
Liu
Chang-yu
CY
Lu
Yan-fang
YF
Liu
Xiao-ying
XY
Cai
Wang-xi
WX
Feng
Han-ge
HG
D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D015847:Interleukin-4