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Updated: Jun 7, 2026
Acupuncture in a Rat Model of Asthma
Published on: August 25, 2020
[Influence of electroacupuncture on human recombination tumor necrosis factor-alpha induced cycloxygenase expression
Fang Liu1, Jian-qiao Fang, Xiao-mei Shao
1Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou.
Objective:
To explore the intervention of electro-acupuncture (EA) on cycloxygenase (COX) mRNA and protein expression induced by human recombination tumor necrosis factor-alpha (hrTNF).
Methods:
Air sac model was established by implanted an autoclaved teflon chamber into back of rat (SPF grade). Ten days after modeling, 90 qualified rats, in them inflammation not detected, were randomly divided into three groups, the control group, the TNF model (model) group and the TNF +EA (TE) group, with 30 cases in each. To rats in the control group, 1 mL of saline was injected into the sac, but to those in the model and TE groups, 2 ng/mL hrTNF in a volume of 1 mL was used instead to induce local inflammatory responses. Immediately after then, EA (2 Hz, 5 mA and persistent waves) was applied to bilateral Quchi points (LI11) of rats in the TE group for 30 min. Fluid in the sac was drawn out at various time points (1, 5 and 24 h) after injection to measure the COX-2 mRNA expression by RT-PCR and COX-2 protein expression by Western blot.
Results:
Level of COX-2 mRNA expression in the control group was significantly different to that in the other two groups (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). COX-2 mRNA expression at the 24th hour and COX-2 protein expression at the 1st hour were significantly lower in the TE group than those in the model group (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01) respectively.
Conclusion:
EA could effectively intervene the mRNA and protein expression of COX-2 induced by hrTNF, which is possibly by way of pro-inflammatory cytokine regulating.