Electroacupuncture and Moxibustion Regulate Hippocampus Glia and Mitochondria Activation in DSS-Induced Colitis Mice

Ning Zhang; Qun Zhang; Lushuang Xie; Chenyu Li; Zhiqi Zhuang; Sirui Lin; Peiran Lv; Yi Liu; Qiaofeng Wu; Shuguang Yu

doi:10.1155/2020/2530253

Electroacupuncture and Moxibustion Regulate Hippocampus Glia and Mitochondria Activation in DSS-Induced Colitis Mice

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Jan 25:2020:2530253. doi: 10.1155/2020/2530253. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Ning Zhang¹, Qun Zhang¹, Lushuang Xie^{2

3}, Chenyu Li¹, Zhiqi Zhuang⁴, Sirui Lin¹, Peiran Lv¹, Yi Liu⁵, Qiaofeng Wu^{1

3}, Shuguang Yu^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Acupuncture and Moxibustion College, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan 610075, China.
² College of Basic Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan 610075, China.
³ Institute of Acupuncture and Homeostasis Regulation, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan 610075, China.
⁴ Department of Rehabilitation, People's Hospital of Pengzhou, Chengdu, Sichuan 610075, China.
⁵ Department of Neurology, Dalian Municipal Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116033, China.

Abstract

Objectives: To study the influence of electroacupuncture (EA) and moxibustion on the hippocampus astrocyte and microglia activation in the ulcerative colitis model and to evaluate the mitochondria activity.

Methods: 2.5% dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis mice were treated by EA or moxibustion. Intestinal pathological structure was observed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining; the expression of GFAP or S100b (markers for astrocyte), Iba-1 (a marker for microglia), and Mitofilin (a marker for mitochondria) in hippocampus was detected by immunofluorescence staining or western blot.

Results: The results demonstrated that both EA and moxibustion could improve the morphology of distal colonic mucosal epithelia in DSS-induced colitis mice. Expression of GFAP in the hippocampus was significantly increased after EA or moxibustion treatment. The effects were further supported by WB results. Meanwhile, expression of mitofilin in the hippocampus CA1 and CA3 regions showed the same trend as that of GFAP. Expression of Iba-1 in the hippocampus showed no significant difference after EA or moxibustion treatment, while the state of microglia changed from resting in control mice to activated state in colitis mice.

Conclusion: EA and moxibustion were able to modulate the activation of astrocyte, microglial, and mitochondria in the hippocampus area in the colitis model.