title: [Effect of electroacupuncture stimulation of "Feishu" (BL 13) on lung index, serum and lung IL-10 and TNF-alpha levels in mice with viral pneumonia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of "Feishu" (BL13) on lung pathological changes, and levels of pulmonary and serum IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in viral pneumonia mice, so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of viral pneumonia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty Kunming mice were randomly divided into normal control, model, medication, EA and moxibustion groups, with 10 mice in each group. The viral pneumonia model was established by intra-nose drip of influenza A1 virus FM1 (H1N1). Rats of the EA group were treated by EA stimulation of bilateral BL13, those of the moxibustion group treated by ignited moxa-stick, and those of the medication group treated by intraperitoneal injection of Yanhuning injection (10 mg x Kg(-1) x d(-1), solved in 5% glucose solution, 5 mL/time/mouse, once daily for 1 week). Both EA and moxibustion treatments were conducted for 20 min, twice a day for a week. The lung index [lung weight/body weight x 100%] were calculated after the treatment. Pathological changes of the lung were observed under microscope after H.E. staining, and serum and pulmonary IL-10, TNF-alpha levels were detected using solid phase sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Following modeling, the average lung index, serum TNF-alpha, and pulmonary TNF-alpha and IL-10 levels were significantly increased in the model group (P < 0.05), while after the treatment, the average lung index and serum TNF-alpha and pulmonary IL-10 levels in the EA, moxibustion and medication groups were notably down-regulated (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and serum IL-10 contents of the three treatment groups were obviously up-regulated (P < 0.01). The effect of the EA group was apparently superior to that of the medication group in down-regulating lung index (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found among the three treatment groups in the levels of serum TNF-alpha and IL-10, and pulmonary TNF-alpha and IL-10 (P > 0.05). In addition, results of H. E. stain showed that the treatment of medication, moxibustion and EA might reduce H1N1-induced pulmonary pathological changes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EA stimulation of "Feishu" (BL13) can down-regulate lung index and serum TNF-alpha and up-regulate serum IL-10 level in viral pneumonia mice, which may contribute to its effect in relieving asthma.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Jun-Ying
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chun-Lei
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009071:Moxibustion; D011024:Pneumonia, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10