Comparison of Protective Effects of Electroacupuncture at ST 36 and LU 5 on Pulmonary and Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis Changes in Perinatal Nicotine-Exposed Rats
Joint Authors
Lu, Yawen
Ji, Bo
Zhao, Guozhen
Dai, Jian
Liu, Yitian
Mou, Qiujie
Xie, Yana
Zhang, Qin
Xu, Shuang
Rehan, Virender Kumar
Sakurai, Reiko
Source
Issue
Vol. 2020, Issue 2020 (31 Dec. 2020), pp.1-9, 9 p.
Publisher
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Publication Date
2020-01-22
Country of Publication
Egypt
No. of Pages
9
Main Subjects
Abstract EN
Background.
Maternal smoking and/or exposure to environmental tobacco smoke continue to be significant factors in fetal and childhood morbidity and are a serious public health issue worldwide.
Nicotine passes through the placenta easily with minimal biotransformation, entering fetal circulation, where it results in many harmful effects on the developing offspring, especially on the developing respiratory system.
Objectives.
Recently, in a rat model, electroacupuncture (EA) at maternal acupoints ST 36 has been shown to block perinatal nicotine-induced pulmonary damage; however, the underlying mechanism and the specificity of ST 36 acupoints for this effect are unknown.
Here, we tested the hypothesis that compared with EA at ST 36, EA at LU 5 acupoints, which are on lung-specific meridian, will be equally or more effective in preventing perinatal nicotine-induced pulmonary changes.
Methods.
Twenty-four pregnant rat dams were randomly divided into 4 groups: saline (“S”), nicotine (“N”), nicotine + ST 36 (N + ST 36), and nicotine + LU 5 (N + LU 5) groups.
Nicotine (1 mg/kg, subcutaneously) and EA (at ST 36 or LU 5 acupoints, bilaterally) were administered from embryonic day 6 to postnatal day 21 once daily.
The “S” group was injected saline.
As needed, using ELISA, western analysis, q-RT-PCR, lung histopathology, maternal and offspring hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axes, offspring key lung developmental markers, and lung morphometry were determined.
Results.
With nicotine exposure, alveolar count decreased, but mean linear intercept and septal thickness increased.
It also led to a decrease in pulmonary function and PPARγ and an increase of β-catenin and glucocorticoid receptor expression in lung tissue and corticosterone in the serum of offspring rats.
Electroacupuncture at ST 36 normalized all of these changes, whereas EA at LU 5 had no obvious effect.
Conclusion.
Electroacupuncture applied to ST 36 acupoints provided effective protection against perinatal nicotine-induced lung changes, whereas EA applied at LU 5 acupoints was ineffective, suggesting mechanistic specificity and HPA axis’ involvement in mediating EA at ST 36 acupoints’ effects in mitigating perinatal nicotine-induced pulmonary phenotype.
This opens the possibility that other acupoints, besides ST 36, can have similar or even more robust beneficial effects on the developing lung against the harmful effect of perinatal nicotine exposure.
The approach proposed by us is simple, cheap, quick, easy to administer, and is devoid of any significant side effects.
American Psychological Association (APA)
Lu, Yawen& Ji, Bo& Zhao, Guozhen& Dai, Jian& Sakurai, Reiko& Liu, Yitian…[et al.]. 2020. Comparison of Protective Effects of Electroacupuncture at ST 36 and LU 5 on Pulmonary and Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis Changes in Perinatal Nicotine-Exposed Rats. BioMed Research International،Vol. 2020, no. 2020, pp.1-9.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1133530
Modern Language Association (MLA)
Lu, Yawen…[et al.]. Comparison of Protective Effects of Electroacupuncture at ST 36 and LU 5 on Pulmonary and Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis Changes in Perinatal Nicotine-Exposed Rats. BioMed Research International No. 2020 (2020), pp.1-9.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1133530
American Medical Association (AMA)
Lu, Yawen& Ji, Bo& Zhao, Guozhen& Dai, Jian& Sakurai, Reiko& Liu, Yitian…[et al.]. Comparison of Protective Effects of Electroacupuncture at ST 36 and LU 5 on Pulmonary and Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal Axis Changes in Perinatal Nicotine-Exposed Rats. BioMed Research International. 2020. Vol. 2020, no. 2020, pp.1-9.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-1133530
Data Type
Journal Articles
Language
English
Notes
Includes bibliographical references
Record ID
BIM-1133530