Effect of acupuncture therapy on vaccine-induced immune response in d-galactose-induced aging rats

This study aimed to explore whether acupuncture and moxibustion can enhance the immune response by increasing the expression of the endogenous adjuvant HSP70 mRNA.

Forty Wistar rats were divided into four groups: model immune acupuncture group (A), model immune control group (B), normal immune acupuncture group (C), and normal immune control group (D). Model immune groups A and B were induced by injecting d-galactose for 6 weeks. Rats in groups A and C were then treated with low-frequency electroacupuncture (EA) at Zusanli (ST36), Guanyuan (CV4), and Baihui (GV20) and moxibustion for 3 weeks. Subsequently, all rats were observed for 2 more weeks. At the 12th week, diphtheria antitoxin titers were determined using the Vero cell trace neutralization method, CD4⁺T/CD8⁺T cell ratios in peripheral blood were examined by flow cytometry, and the relative expression of spleen cell HSP70 mRNA was measured by RT-PCR.

Compared with the normal immune control, the diphtheria antitoxin titer, CD4⁺T/CD8⁺T cell ratio, and expression of spleen cell HSP70 mRNA significantly decreased in the model immune control group (P < 0.01). However, the model immune acupuncture group showed a significant increase in antitoxin titer (P < 0.01) and elevated CD4⁺T/CD8⁺T cell ratio and HSP70 mRNA expression (P < 0.05) after EA and moxibustion intervention.

Acupuncture and moxibustion may enhance the humoral immune response (diphtheria antitoxin titer) and cellular immune response (peripheral blood CD4⁺T/CD8⁺T cell ratio) by increasing the expression of the endogenous adjuvant HSP70 mRNA, suggesting that acupuncture may serve as a new vaccine adjuvant.