METHODS: SD rats (half male half female) were randomly divided into normal control, model,
acupoint injection (AI), AI+moxibustion, AI+catgut embedding and AI+acupuncture groups, with 8 rats in each group. The AR model was established by
intraperitoneal injection of
ovalbumin suspension (once every other day for 7 times), and intranasal drop of 0.5%
ovalbumin solution (once daily for 7 days). After successful modeling, rats of the AI group received injection of a mixture
solution of equal proportion of 1%
lidocaine,
dexamethasone and
transfer factor into "Yingxiang" (LI20) and "Yintang" (EX-HN3) once every 4 days, 4 times altogether. Mild
moxibustion or
catgut embedment or manual acupuncture was applied to bilateral "Feishu" (BL13) and "Zusanli" (ST36). Both
moxibustion (20 min every time) and acupuncture (with the needles retained for 30 min every time) were conducted once daily for 14 times, and
catgut embedding was conducted once a week, twice altogether based on
acupoint injection. The rats' nasal
allergic reaction score (symptom score, 1-3 points) was given according to the times of nose scratching and
sneezing, and the running nose state in 30 min, and histopathological changes of nasal mucosa were observed by H.E. staining. The expression levels of IFN-γ and
IL-4 in the nasal mucosa were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot, separately.
RESULTS: Compared with the normal group, the symptom score and the expression of
IL-4 positive cells and
protein in nasal mucosa were significantly increased (P<0.05), while the expression of IFN-γ positive cells and
protein were considerably decreased in the model group (P<0.05). In comparison with the model group, the symptom score and the expression of
IL-4 positive cells and
protein were obviously decreased (P<0.05), while the expression of IFN-γ positive cells and
protein were remarkably increased in the 4 treatment groups (P<0.05). The effects of AI+moxibustion, AI+catgut embedment, AI+acupuncture were signi-ficantly superior to those of simple AI in up-regulating the expression of IFN-γ positive cells and
protein and in down-regulating the expression of
IL-4 positive cells and
protein (P<0.05). Both the symptom score and the expression of
IL-4 were notably lower in the AI+moxibustion group than in the AI+catgut embedment and AI+acupuncture groups (P<0.05), whereas the expression of IFN-γ was apparently higher in the AI+moxibustion group than in the other 3 treatment groups (P<0.05). No significant differences were found between the AI+catgut embedment and AI+acupuncture groups in the levels of symptom score, IFN-γ and
IL-4 expressions (P>0.05).
CONCLUSION:
Moxibustion or
catgut embedment or acupuncture and AI have a synergistic effect in relieving symptoms of AR rats, which may be related to their function in regulating the expression levels of nasal IFN-γ and
IL-4 proteins. The
therapeutic effect of
moxibustion is obviously superior to those of both acupuncture and
catgut embedment.