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KMID : 1129720030200020047
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Korean Journal of Acupuncture
2003 Volume.20 No. 2 p.47 ~ p.54
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The Effects of Herbal Acupuncture on Immuno-regulatory Action of the Hypothalamus in Rats
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Yi Tae-Hoo
Park Hi-Joon
Lim Sabina
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Abstract
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The herbal acupuncture therapy is a new way of stimulating acupoints, which is done by injecting herbal extraction to the acupoints, and it has been frequently used for immune regulation in clinical settings2),14). Although there has been several experiments to provide scientific evidences on the mechanism of herbal acupuncture therapy3,25), it is yet largely unknown. The antipyretic effects of acupuncture stimulation have been vigorously studied in recent years. The effects of acupuncture stimulation on the Gokji (LI11) and Hapgok (LI4) loci on both thermoregulatory function and analgesic activity were assessed in normal adults1,23). The Gokji (LI11) and Hapgok (LI4) have been reported to have the effects of thermoregulatory function and analgesic activity in normal adults4,10). The effects of acupuncture stimulation on the Daechu (GV14), Naeguan (EH6) and Joksamli (ST36) loci on thermoregulatory function were studied in normal adults15). Electro-acupuncture (EA) stimulation to the Gokji (LI11) has antipyretic effects on fever induced by either lipopolysaccharide (LPS), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) or prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). EA stimulation possesses an antipyretic effect through the inhibition of the action of PGE2 in rats5). EA stimulation to Daechu (GV14) has an inhibitory effect on arthritis, and the partial mechanism of its therapeutic result may be attributed to the inhibition of the production of IL-1 beta and PGE2 by suppressing the IL-1 beta and cyclooxygenase-2 gene activation6). Additionally, the acupunctural effects suggest participation of an endogenous opioid system in initiation of a number of responses mediating the antipyretic and immuno-regulatory effect of acupuncture20). LPS is an endotoxin derived from cell wall of gram-negative bacteria. LPS effect occurs 2 hours after the injection by stimulating cytokines to induce acute phase response (APR). LPS induces mRNA synthesis for cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha) in microglial cells. LPS induces significant increase in nitric oxide synthase (NOS) gene expressions of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) with different time-course and distribution8). Nitric oxide (NO) generation, especially by inducible NOS (iNOS) in rat’s hypothalamus and pituitary, is involved in the mechanism of LPS-induced fever generation21). The present study is designed to investigate the immuno-regulatory effect and its mechanism of herbal acupuncture on inflammatory response in LPS-injected rats. We observed the mRNA expressions of iNOS in the hypothalamus using the RT-PCR method.
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KEYWORD
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Lipopolysaccharide, RT-PCR, inducible nitric oxide synthase
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