Effect of moxibustion on T lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood of rats with gastric cancer

Abstract

Objective

To observe the effect of moxibustion on T lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood of rats with gastric cancer.

Methods

Sixty healthy Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were adaptively fed for one week. By the random number table method, 10 rats were randomly selected as a blank group, and 12 rats were randomly selected to simulate the tumor transplantation process; after transplantation, 10 rats were randomly selected as a sham operation group. The remaining 38 rats were used to prepare gastric cancer models by gastric transplantation of the Walker-256 tumor tissue; 8 rats were randomly selected to verify the successful modeling after 7 d; the remaining 30 rats were randomly divided into a model group, a moxibustion group and an infrared group by the random number table method, with 10 rats in each group. From the first day of enrollment, the rats in the moxibustion group received mild moxibustion at Zhongwan (CV 12), Guanyuan (CV 4) and bilateral Zusanli (ST 36) (the first group) and bilateral Pishu (BL 20) and Weishu (BL 21) (the second group), and the two groups of acupoints were alternated every other day. The rats in the infrared group received infrared radiation on the stomach area and the area on the back between the T₁₂-T₁₃ spinous processes, the two areas were alternated every other day. Rats in the moxibustion group and the infrared group were treated for 20 min each time, once a day for 21 d. Rats in the blank group, the sham operation group, and the model group were simultaneously grasped and fixed, and no other treatment was performed. After 21 d of intervention, the rats in each group were fasted for 12 h, and blood was collected from the orbits. The numbers of CD3⁺, CD3⁺CD4⁺, CD3⁺CD8⁺ T lymphocytes in peripheral blood were determined by flow cytometry, and the ratio of CD3⁺CD4⁺/CD3⁺CD8⁺ was calculated. The rats were sacrificed and the thymus was dissected under sterile conditions to calculate the thymus index.

Results

Compared with the blank group, the thymus index, peripheral blood CD3⁺, CD3⁺CD4⁺, CD3⁺CD8⁺ and CD3⁺CD4⁺/CD3⁺CD8⁺ ratio in the sham operation group did not change significantly (all P>0.05). Compared with the blank group, the thymus index of the model group was increased (P<0.05), the CD3⁺ and CD3⁺CD8⁺ T lymphocytes were increased (both P<0.01), and the CD3⁺CD4⁺/CD3⁺CD8⁺ ratio was decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the thymus index of the moxibustion group was increased (P<0.01), and CD3⁺, CD3+CD⁴⁺ and CD3⁺CD8⁺ T lymphocytes and the ratio of CD3⁺CD4⁺/CD3⁺CD8⁺ in peripheral blood were increased (all P<0.05). Compared with the infrared group, the thymus index of the moxibustion group was significantly increased (P<0.05), the CD3⁺ and CD3⁺CD4⁺ T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood were significantly increased (both P<0.01), and the CD3⁺CD8⁺ was increased (P<0.05).

Conclusion

Moxibustion can significantly increase the thymus index of gastric cancer-bearing rats and activate CD3⁺CD4⁺ and CD3⁺CD8⁺ T lymphocytes in peripheral blood.

摘要

目的

观察艾灸对胃荷瘤大鼠外周血中T 淋巴细胞亚群的影响。

方法

将60 只健康Sprague-Dawley (SD)大鼠适应性喂养一周后, 按随机数字表法随机选出10 只作为空白组, 时随机选出12 只通过手术模拟瘤体移植过程, 成功后, 随机将10 只作为假手术组. 剩余38 只采用Walker-256 瘤组织胃部移植制备胃荷瘤模型, 7 d 后随机选取8 只验证造模成功, 剩余30 只用随机数字表法依次分入模型组、艾灸组和红外组,每组10 只. 自入组第1 日起, 艾灸组接受温和灸中脘、关元和双侧足三里(第一组)以及双侧脾俞和胃俞(第二组)治疗, 两组穴位隔日交替使用. 红外组接受红外线照射胃脘部及背部T12-T13 棘突间两个区域, 两个区域隔日交替使用。 艾灸组、红外组每次干预20 min, 每日1 次, 连续21 d. 空白组、假手术组和模型组同时间抓取、固定, 不予其他处理. 干预21 d 后, 各组大鼠禁食不禁水12 h, 眼眶采血, 流式细胞仪测定外周血中CD3+、CD3⁺CD4⁺和CD3⁺CD8⁺ T 淋巴细胞 含量, 计算CD3⁺CD4⁺/CD3⁺CD8⁺比值。处死动物, 无菌条件下剖取胸腺, 计算胸腺指数。

结果

与空白组比较, 假手术组大鼠胸腺指数、外周血中CD3+、CD3+CD4+、CD3+CD8+及CD3⁺CD4⁺/CD3⁺CD8⁺比值均无显著变化(均P>0.05). 与空白组比较, 模型组大鼠胸腺指数增高(P<0.05), 外周血中CD3⁺、CD3⁺CD8⁺ T淋巴细胞增多(均P<0.01), CD3+CD4+/CD3+CD8+比值下降(P<0.05). 与模型组比较, 艾灸组大鼠胸腺指数增高(P<0.01), 外周血中CD3+、CD3+CD4+和CD3+CD8+ T淋巴细胞以及CD3+CD4+/CD3+CD8+比值均增加(均P<;0.05). 与红外组比较, 艾灸组大鼠胸腺指数明显增高(P<0.05), 外周血中CD3⁺和CD3⁺CD4⁺ T淋巴细胞显著增加(均P<0.01), CD3+CD8+稍有增加(P<;0.05)。

结论

艾灸可明显提高胃荷瘤大鼠胸腺指数, 激活外周血中CD3⁺CD4⁺和CD3⁺CD8⁺ T淋巴细胞。