[Effect of electroacupuncture of "Fenglong" (ST 40) on levels of blood lipid and macrophage TNF-alpha and IL-6 in hyperlipidemic rats].

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation of "Fenglong" (ST 40) on blood lipid contents and inflammatory factor levels in hyperlipemia rats so as to elucidate its mechanism underlying improvement of hyperlipemia.

METHODS:

Fifty male SD rats were randomized into 5 groups: normal, model, diet -control, EA intervention (EA), diet-control + EA groups, with 10 rats in each group. Hyperlipemia model was established by feeding the animals with high-fat diet for 30 days. After modeling, rats in the diet-control group were fed with routine fodder. EA was applied to bilateral "Fenglong" (ST 40) for 30 min, once daily for 30 days. Following intraperitoneal injection of 1640 culture fluid, the peritoneal fluid was collected and centrifuged for extracting macrophages. Flow cytometry (FCM) was employed to determine the levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) after adding fluoresce-labeled antibodies.

RESULTS:

The contents of serum TC and LDL-C were remarkably higher and HDL-C level was significantly lower in the model group than in the normal group (P < 0.01). After EA intervention, serum TC and LDL-C showed an apparent decrease (P < 0.01). Compared with the normal group, percentages of CD11 b, TNF-alpha and IL-6 were significantly increased in the model group (P < 0.01), while in comparison with the model group, percentages of CD11 b in both EA and diet-control + EA groups, TNF-alpha and IL-6 percentages of macrophages in the diet-control, EA and diet-control + EA groups were notably decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The effects of the diet-control + EA group were considerably superior to those of the diet-control group in lowering CD11 b, TNF-alpha and IL-6 percentages (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). No significant differences were found between the diet-control and EA groups in the aforementioned indexes (P > 0.05). CD11 b level indicates changes of macrophage level due to its specific marker character.

CONCLUSION:

EA stimulation of "Fenglong" (ST 40) is effective in lowering serum TC, LDL-C, and macrophage TNF-alpha and IL-6 levels in hyperlipemia rats.

• Authors: Ying Xiao, Wei Le, Hao Huang, Li Zhou, Jia-yu Tian, Ying-fan Chen
• Journal: Zhen ci yan jiu = Acupuncture research (Zhen Ci Yan Jiu) Vol. 38 Issue 6 Pg. 459-64 (Dec 2013) ISSN: 1000-0607 [Print] China
• PMID: 24579360 (Publication Type: English Abstract, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Interleukin-6
• Lipids
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Topics

• Acupuncture Points
• Animals
• Electroacupuncture
• Humans
• Hyperlipidemias (blood, immunology, therapy)
• Interleukin-6 (blood)
• Lipids (blood)
• Macrophages (immunology)
• Male
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (blood)