title: Effects of fastigial nucleus electrostimulation on airway inflammation and remodeling in an experimental rat model of asthma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Asthma is a chronic disease involving an immune response, which is characterized by non-specific inflammation and airway remodeling. Glucocorticoids are clinically beneficial in controlling asthma, but further options are needed. In our study, fastigial nucleus electrostimulation (FNS) was applied in a rat asthma model for the first time to investigate the effects of pre-intervention.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effects of FNS on airway inflammation and remodeling in asthmatic rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty rats were assigned randomly to the normal control (CON), model (MDL), FNS, or budesonide (BUD) groups. Asthma was induced with chicken egg (OVA). The animals in the CON and MDL groups were treated with normal saline. The animals in the other two groups received FNS or budesonide, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicated that IgE in the serum and airway fiber areas were higher in the MDL group than in other groups. After treatment for 3 weeks, collagen fibers in the bronchial wall in the FNS group were significantly lower compared with the MDL group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FNS significantly reduced IL-4, IL-13, TNF-α, OVA-IgE and TGF-β1 in serum and BALF, and increased IFN-γ. Our results suggest that FNS may ameliorate asthma symptoms and induce changes of cytokines in the serum and lung milieu.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai First People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200080, China.
authors.forename: Kunpeng
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai First People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200080, China.
authors.forename: Wenhua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai First People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200080, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai First Peopl's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200080, China.
authors.forename: Zhouying
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai First People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200080, China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai First People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200080, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai First People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200080, China.
authors.forename: Ruijuan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai First People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200080, China.
authors.forename: Wenping
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D056151:Airway Remodeling / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D002529:Cerebellar Nuclei / Q000502:physiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley