title: [Effect of acupoint-injection of stem cell factor antibody on electroacupuncture induced changes of count and degranulation of subcutaneous mast cells in the local region in rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the alternations of local mast cells (MCs) in the number and functional activities after electroacupuncture (EA) and injection of stem cell factor (SOF) antibody into "Weishu" (BL 21) and "Zusanli" (ST 36) in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty Wistar rats were randomly assigned to normal, EA, and EA + SCF antibody injection (EA-ABI) groups (n=10). EA was applied to the left "Weishu"(BL 21) and "Zusanli" (ST 36) for 25 min. For rats of EA+ ABI group, SOF-AB (1:200, 0.1 mL) was respectively injected into BL 21 and ST 36, following by EA. The tissues around the two acupoints areas were sampled to be stained with acetylcholine esterase (AchE) and toluidine blue (TB), respectively. The counts and degranulation ratio of MOs in the acupoint region were recorded and observed under microscope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In comparison with the normal group, MCs count was increased significantly in the EA of "Weishu" (BL 21) group (P < 0.05), mildly in the EA of "Zusanli" (ST 36) group (P > 0.05), and downregulated considerably in both EA-ABI-BL 21 and EA-ABI-ST 36 groups (P < 0.05) . Compared with the normal group, the degranulation ratio of MCs was increased significantly in EA-BL 21, EA-ST 36, EA-ABI-BL 21 and EA-ABI-ST 36 groups (P < 0.5). No significant differences were found between EA-BL 21 and EA-ABI-BL 21 groups, and between EA-ST 36 and EA-ABI-ST 36 groups in the degranulation ratios (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Local injection of SCF antibody in BL 21 and ST 36 can significantly suppress EA-induced increase of the number and degranulation ratio of local subcutaneous MCs in rats, suggesting that SCF is an important factor affecting the activity and recruitment of MCs around the acupoint during EA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Institute of Acu-moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China. xiaojing84.ok@163.com
authors.forename: Xiao-jing
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Ming-fu
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Jin-ling
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002452:Cell Count; D015550:Cell Degranulation; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D005260:Female; D007267:Injections; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000502:physiology*; D040521:Subcutaneous Tissue
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D019089:Stem Cell Factor