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Effect of moxibustion on CRF and CRFR1 expressions in hypothalamus of TNBS-induced experimental colitis rats

艾灸对TNBS诱导的实验性结肠炎大鼠下丘脑CRF和CRFR1表达的影响

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Abstract

Objective

To observe the effect of moxibustion on the protein and mRNA expressions of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 (CRFR1) in hypothalamus of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced experimental colitis rats, and to explore the central mechanisms of moxibustion in improving visceral pain and the pain-related emotions in experimental colitis rats.

Methods

Thirty-six Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into a normal group (NG), a model group (MG), a herb-partitioned moxibustion group (HPMG) and a sham herb-partitioned moxibustion group (SHPMG). Except the NG, rats in the remaining three groups all received TNBS enema to establish experimental colitis models. The HPMG received herb-partitioned moxibustion (HPM) at bilateral Tianshu (ST 25) and Qihai (CV 6) for intervention; for the SHPMG, the herbal cakes and moxa cones were only placed on the acupoints but not ignited; rats in the MG and NG were only fixed in the same way as those in the HPMG but did not receive any treatment. At the end of the intervention, the abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) score, the open field test (OFT) score and the elevated plus maze (EPM) score were observed to measure the changes in visceral pain and pain-related emotions of the rats. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to examine the expressions of CRF and CRFR1 proteins in hypothalamus; the fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect the expressions of CRF and CRFR1 mRNAs in hypothalamus.

Results

Compared with the NG, the AWR score increased significantly and the OFT and EPM scores dropped significantly in the MG (all P<0.05), and the expressions of hypothalamic CRF and CRFR1 proteins and mRNAs increased significantly (all P<0.01). Compared with the MG and SHPMG, the AWR score dropped significantly and the OFT and EPM scores increased significantly in the HPMG (all P<0.01), and the expressions of hypothalamic CRF and CRFR1 proteins and mRNAs decreased significantly (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences between the MG and the SHPMG (all P>0.05).

Conclusion

HPM can down-regulate the abnormally increased expressions of CRF and CRFR1 proteins and mRNAs in hypothalamus of the TNBS-induced experimental colitis rats, which is plausibly one of its action mechanisms in mitigating visceral pain and the pain-related emotions in the experimental colitis rats.

摘要

目的

观察艾灸对三硝基苯磺酸(TNBS)诱导的实验性结肠炎大鼠下丘脑促肾上腺皮质激素释放因子(CRF)及其受体1(CRFR1)蛋白及mRNA表达的影响, 探讨艾灸改善实验性结肠炎大鼠内脏痛及痛情绪的中枢机制。

方法

将36只Sprague-Dawley (SD)大鼠采用完全随机方法分为正常组、模型组、隔药灸组和假隔药灸组。除正常组外,其余三组大鼠均采用TNBS灌肠制备实验性结肠炎模型。隔药灸组采用双侧天枢、气海穴隔药灸治疗; 假隔药灸组仅在穴位上放置药饼和艾炷, 但不点燃艾炷; 模型组和正常组均不进行治疗, 只做与隔药灸组相同的固定。治疗结束后, 检测各组大鼠腹壁撤回反射(AWR)、旷场实验(OFT)和高架十字迷宫测试(EPM)评分, 观察各组大鼠内脏痛和痛情绪变化; 采用ELISA技术检测各组大鼠下丘脑CRF和CRFR1的蛋白含量; 应用荧光定量PCR技术检测各组大鼠下丘脑CRF和CRFR1 mRNA的表达。

结果

与正常组比较, 模型组大鼠AWR评分显著升高; OFT、EPM评分显著降低(均P<0.05); 下丘脑CRF和CRFR1蛋白及mRNA表达均显著升高(均P<0.01)。与模型组和假隔药灸组比较; 隔药灸组大鼠AWR评分显著降低; OFT、EPM评分显著升高(均P<0.01), 下丘脑CRF和CRFR1蛋白及mRNA表达均显著降低(均P<0.05)。假隔药灸组与模型组比较, 差异均无统计学意义(均P>0.05)。

结论

隔药灸能降低TNBS诱导的实验性结肠炎大鼠下丘脑异常增高的CRF和CRFR1蛋白及mRNA的表达, 该作用可能是其缓解实验性结肠炎大鼠内脏痛及痛情绪的作用机制之一。

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China ( 国家自然科学基金项目, No. 81674073, No. 81273843); Excellent Academic Leader Cultivation Project of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning (上海市卫生计生系统优秀学科带头人培养计划项目, No. 2017BR047); National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, 国家重点基础研究发展计划项目, No. 2015CB554501); Project of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning ( 上海市卫生和计划生育委员会课题, No. 201540167).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zhejing Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, China

    Zhi-yuan Li  (李志元)

  2. Shanghai Huangpu District Hospital of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai, 200010, China

    Yan Huang  (黄燕)

  3. Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China

    Ji Zhang  (张霁), Li-jie Wu  (吴丽洁), Fang-yuan Zhi  (智方圆), Dan-yan Wu  (吴丹艳), Xi-ying Li  (李茜莹), Yue Zhao  (赵越) & Xiao-peng Ma  (马晓芃)

  4. Shanghai Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian, Shanghai, 200030, China

    Yan-ting Yang  (杨延婷), Cui-hong Zhang  (张翠红), Jue Hong  (洪珏), Ci-li Zhou  (周次利), Dan Zhang  (张丹) & Xiao-peng Ma  (马晓芃)

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  1. Zhi-yuan Li  (李志元)
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Correspondence to Dan Zhang  (张丹) or Xiao-peng Ma  (马晓芃).

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Li, Zy., Huang, Y., Zhang, J. et al. Effect of moxibustion on CRF and CRFR1 expressions in hypothalamus of TNBS-induced experimental colitis rats. J. Acupunct. Tuina. Sci. 16, 207–215 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11726-018-1052-0

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