Investigating the effect of “qi and blood combined treatment” acupuncture on inflammatory injury of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy rats based on TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway
WANG Jiajia JI Bo▲ LIU Yitian SHI Tianyu GE Yunpeng XIE Yana FANG Yang ZHANG Ling
School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 102488, China
Abstract:Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of qi and blood combined treatment acupuncture on inflammatory injury in rats with cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR) and the correlation between toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Methods Twenty-four 5-7-week-old healthy male SD rats (180-220 g) were divided into blank group, sham surgery group, model group, and “qi and blood combined treatment” acupuncture group by random number table method, with six rats in each group. The CSR model was prepared by spinal canal insertion method. On the 3rd day after the model was made, the “qi and blood combined treatment” acupuncture group was treated by acupuncture at ji?觃jǐ points of cervical 5 and cervical 7, zus?觃nlǐ and géshù, and the cervical ji?觃jǐ points were treated by electro-acupuncture with density wave at 2 Hz/50 Hz, with an intensity of 1.5 mA for 30 min/d for 14 days. The restrain of blank group, sham operation group, and model group were the same as those of “qi and blood combined treatment” acupuncture group, no treatment. The restrain of the gait score of all groups was compared, the ultrastructure of the spinal cord was observed by electron microscope, the contents of interleukin(IL)-1β and prostaglandin E2(PGE2) in the spinal cord were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the expression of TLR4, NF-κB, and cyclocycesterase 2 (COX-2) in the spinal cord were detected by Western blot. Results After treatment, there was no significant difference in gait score between sham operation group and blank group (P>0.05), the gait score of model group was higher than that of blank group (P<0.01), and the gait score of “qi and blood combined treatment” acupuncture group was lower than that of model group (P<0.05). The appearance of myelin sheath of rats in blank group and sham operation group was regular and the structure was complete. In the model group, the myelin structure was irregular, some myelin was broken and disappeared, the thickness was different, the lamellar structure was loose, twisted and broken, and the mitochondria was swollen or even partially dissolved and disappeared; in the “qi and blood combined treatment” acupuncture group, the myelin lamella was less loose, the structure was more compact, and clear mitochondria could be seen. There was no significant difference in IL-1β and PGE2 protein expression between sham operation group and blank group (P>0.05). The expression levels of IL-1β and PGE2 in model group were higher than those in blank group (P<0.01). The expression levels of IL-1β and PGE2 protein in “qi and blood combined treatment” acupuncture group were lower than those in model group (P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the relative expressions of TLR4, NF-κB, and COX-2 protein between the sham operation group and the blank group (P>0.05). The expressions of TLR4, NF-κB, and COX-2 in model group were higher than those in blank group (P<0.01). The protein expressions of TLR4, NF-κB, and COX-2 in “qi and blood combined treatment” acupuncture group were lower than those in model group (P<0.01). Conclusion The “qi and blood combined treatment” acupuncture method can improve the limited activity of CSR rats, probably by blocking changes in the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway, reducing the expression of IL-1β and PGE2, and reducing inflammatory damage.
王佳佳 嵇波▲ 刘翼天 石天宇 葛云鹏 谢亚娜 方洋 张玲 . 基于TLR4/NF-κB信号通路探讨“气血并治”针法对神经根型颈椎病大鼠炎性损伤的影响[J]. 中国医药导报, 2023, 20(23): 4-7,22.
WANG Jiajia JI Bo▲ LIU Yitian SHI Tianyu GE Yunpeng XIE Yana FANG Yang ZHANG Ling . Investigating the effect of “qi and blood combined treatment” acupuncture on inflammatory injury of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy rats based on TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. 中国医药导报, 2023, 20(23): 4-7,22.