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Updated: Jul 5, 2025
Pressure Controlled Ventilation to Induce Acute Lung Injury in Mice
Published on: May 5, 2011
Electroacupuncture alleviates ventilator-induced lung injury in mice by inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway
Shuang Zhang1, Shuji Li2, Qingmei Liu2
1Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Clinical Medical College, Geriatric Diseases Institute of Chengdu/Cancer Prevention and Treatment Institute of Chengdu, Chengdu Fifth People's Hospital, Affiliated Fifth People's Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Chengdu, 611137, Sichuan Province, China.
Objective:
This study was aimed to explore the protective effect of electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment at Zusanli point (ST36) on ventilation-induced lung injury (VILI) and its potential anti-inflammatory mechanism.
Methods:
High tidal volume ventilation was used to induce the VILI in mice, and EA pretreatment at ST36 was given for 7 consecutive days. The wet/dry ratio and pathological injury score of lung tissue, and total protein content of pulmonary alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were detected after 4 h of mechanical ventilation (MV). Meanwhile, the expressions of TLR4 and NF- κB in lung tissue were evaluated by Western Blot, and the inflammatory factors in lung tissue were detected by ELISA.
Results:
After four hours of mechanical ventilation, mice with ventilator-induced lung injury showed significant increases in lung wet/dry ratio, tissue damage scores, and protein content in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α) and TLR4/NF-κB expression levels in the lung were also markedly elevated (P < 0.05). Conversely, ST36 acupuncture point pre-treatment significantly reduced these parameters (P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
EA pretreatment at ST36 could alleviate the inflammatory response for VILI via inhibiting TLR4/NF- κB pathway.
