Electroacupuncture suppresses surgical trauma stress-induced lymphocyte apoptosis in rats

Cumulative evidences suggested that electroacupuncture (EA) could modulate immune function, but the mechanism needs further study. In the present study, the effect of EA on surgical trauma stress-induced lymphocyte apoptosis was investigated by using DNA gel electrophoresis, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay, and Western blot for Fas protein expression. The results showed that rats with surgical trauma stress exhibited a significant reduction in splenic cellularity. Increase in apoptotic cell death and Fas (CD95/Apo-1) expression in splenic lymphocytes was also observed. EA could suppress the increase of apoptosis and Fas protein expression in splenic lymphocytes induced by the surgical trauma stress. These results implied that EA could decrease splenic lymphocytes apoptosis via inhibiting Fas protein expression; consequently prevent deleterious immunological changes in the post-operative state.