Long-term effects of acupuncture treatment on airway smooth muscle in a rat model of smoke-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
BACKGROUND
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common lung diseases. It is a chronic inflammatory process characterised by airway obstruction and progressive lung inflammation, associated with difficulty breathing and insensitivity to corticosteroid therapy. Although there is some preliminary evidence to suggest a beneficial effect of acupuncture on COPD, its mechanism of action has not been investigated. Our aim was to examine the anti-inflammatory effects of acupuncture in a rat model of COPD induced by exposure to cigarette smoke (CS).


METHODS
Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to the smoke of 15 cigarettes for 1 h/day, 6 days/week for 3 months to induce COPD and treated with acupuncture at BL13 (Feishu), BL23 (Shenshu) and Dingchuan (COPD+Acupuncture, n=15), sham acupuncture (COPD+Sham, n=15) or left untreated (n=15). Exposed rats were compared with controls not exposed to CS (control, n=15). Pulmonary function was measured, and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels were determined in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid by ELISA. Histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) protein and mRNA expression were examined in lung tissue and in bronchus.


RESULTS
Acupuncture treatment appeared to protect pulmonary function and reduce the COPD-induced inflammatory response by decreasing cell inflammation and the production of TNF-α and IL-8. Acupuncture also enhanced HDAC2 mRNA and protein expression, suggesting a possible direct effect on protein structure through post-translational modifications.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that acupuncture regulates inflammatory cytokines and contributes to lung protection in a rat model of smoke-induced COPD by modulating HDAC2.
Hubei University of Chinese Medicine/Hubei Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center of Preventive Treatment by Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Wuhan, China.
Jia
J
Li
Hubei University of Chinese Medicine/Hubei Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center of Preventive Treatment by Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Wuhan, China.
Song
S
Wu
Hubei University of Chinese Medicine/Hubei Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center of Preventive Treatment by Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Wuhan, China.
Hongtu
H
Tang
Hubei University of Chinese Medicine/Hubei Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center of Preventive Treatment by Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Wuhan, China.
Wei
W
Huang
Hubei University of Chinese Medicine/Hubei Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center of Preventive Treatment by Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Wuhan, China Taihe Hospital, Affiliated to Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China.
Lushan
L
Wang
Hubei University of Chinese Medicine/Hubei Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center of Preventive Treatment by Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Wuhan, China.
Huanjiao
H
Zhou
Hubei University of Chinese Medicine/Hubei Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center of Preventive Treatment by Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Wuhan, China.
Miao
M
Zhou
Hubei University of Chinese Medicine/Hubei Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center of Preventive Treatment by Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Wuhan, China.
Hua
H
Wang
Department of Acupuncture, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, China.
Jing
J
Li
D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000818:Animals; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000378:metabolism*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012906:Smoke / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013997:Time Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D016209:Interleukin-8; D012906:Smoke; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
ACUPUNCTURE