Objectives: To observe the effects of acupoint injection on the expression of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), phosphorylated (p)-p38 MAPK, mucin 5 subtype AC (MUC5AC) in the nasal mucosa, and serum inflammatory factors of rats with allergic rhinitis, so as to explore the mechanism of acupoint injection in improving inflammatory reactions in the nasal mucosa of rats with allergic rhinitis.
Methods: SD rats were randomly divided into the normal group, model group, acupoint injection group, and non-acupoint group, with 7 rats in each group. The allergic rhinitis rat model was established using ovalbumin sensitization. Intervention was performed by injecting dexamethasone and 1% lidocaine mixture (0.05 mL) into the bilateral "Yingxiang"(LI20) and "Yintang"(GV24+) acupoints, with injection at non-acupoints for non-acupoint group as the control, once every 3 days for a total of 4 times. Allergic symptoms in the rat nose were evaluated using a cumulative scoring method；histopathological changes in the nasal mucosa were observed after HE staining；serum histamine (HA), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) contents were detected using ELISA；real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression of MUC5AC mRNA in the nasal mucosa；Western blot was used to detect the expression of p38 MAPK, p-p38 MAPK, and MUC5AC protein in the nasal mucosa.
Results: Compared with the normal group, nasal allergic symptom score, serum HA, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α contents, nasal mucosal p38 MAPK, p-p38 MAPK proteins expression, MUC5AC mRNA and protein expression were significantly increased(P<0.01) in the model group. Compared with the model group and non-acupoint group, nasal allergic symptom score, serum HA, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α contents, nasal mucosal p38 MAPK and p-p38 MAPK proteins expression, MUC5AC mRNA and protein expression were significantly reduced (P<0.01, P<0.05) in the acupoint injection group.
Conclusions: Acupoint injection can reduce nasal allergic symptom, and MUC5AC secretion in rats with allergic rhinitis, alleviate nasal mucosal inflammatory reactions, and its mechanism of action may be related to the inhibition of p38 MAPK phosphorylation, thereby reducing the release of inflammatory factors.
目的: 观察穴位注射对变应性鼻炎大鼠鼻黏膜p38丝裂原活化蛋白激酶（MAPK）、磷酸化（p）-p38 MAPK、黏蛋白5亚型AC（MUC5AC）及血清相关炎性因子的影响，探讨穴位注射改善变应性鼻炎大鼠鼻黏膜炎性反应的作用机制。方法: SD大鼠随机分为正常组、模型组、穴位注射组和非经非穴组，每组7只。采用卵清蛋白致敏法建立变应性鼻炎大鼠模型，穴位注射组采用双侧“迎香”和“印堂”穴位注射地塞米松和1%利多卡因混合液0.05 mL进行干预，非经非穴组于非经非穴点注射作对照，隔3 d治疗1次，共4次。叠加量化计分法评估大鼠鼻部过敏症状；HE染色法观察鼻黏膜病理形态学变化；ELISA法检测血清组胺（HA）、白细胞介素（IL）-6、IL-8、肿瘤坏死因子α（TNF-α）含量；实时荧光定量PCR法检测鼻黏膜MUC5AC mRNA的表达；Western blot法检测鼻黏膜p38 MAPK、p-p38 MAPK、MUC5AC蛋白的表达。结果: 与正常组比较，模型组大鼠鼻部症状积分升高（P<0.01），血清HA、IL-6、IL-8、TNF-α含量，鼻黏膜p38 MAPK、p-p38 MAPK蛋白，MUC5AC mRNA及蛋白表达均明显升高（P<0.01）。与模型组和非经非穴组比较，穴位注射组大鼠鼻部症状积分降低（P<0.01），血清HA、IL-6、IL-8、TNF-α含量及鼻黏膜p38 MAPK、p-p38 MAPK蛋白，MUC5AC mRNA及蛋白表达均明显降低（P<0.01，P<0.05）。结论: 穴位注射可减少变应性鼻炎大鼠鼻部过敏症状和MUC5AC的分泌，减轻鼻黏膜炎性反应，其作用机制可能与穴位注射抑制p38 MAPK磷酸化从而减少炎性因子释放有关。.
Keywords: Acupoint injection; Allergic rhinitis; Cytokines; Inflammatory reaction; Mucin 5 subtype AC; p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase.