Role of Nrf2/ARE pathway in protective effect of electroacupuncture against endotoxic shock-induced acute lung injury in rabbits

PLoS One. 2014 Aug 12;9(8):e104924. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104924. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

NF-E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a major transcription factor and acts as a key regulator of antioxidant genes to exogenous stimulations. The aim of current study was to determine whether Nrf2/ARE pathway is involved in the protective effect of electroacupuncture on the injured lung in a rabbit model of endotoxic shock. A dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) 5 mg/kg was administered intravenously to replicate the model of acute lung injury induced by endotoxic shock. Electroacupuncture pretreatment was handled bilaterally at Zusanli and Feishu acupoints for five consecutive days while sham electroacupuncture punctured at non-acupoints. Fourty anesthetized New England male rabbits were randomized into normal control group (group C), LPS group (group L), electroacupuncture + LPS group (group EL) and sham electroacupuncture + LPS (group SEL). At 6 h after LPS administration, the animals were sacrificed and the blood samples were collected for biochemical measurements. The lungs were removed for calculation of wet-to-dry weight ratios (W/D), histopathologic examination, determination of heme oxygenase (HO)-1 protein and mRNA, Nrf2 total and nucleoprotein, as well as Nrf2 mRNA expression, and evaluation of the intracellular distribution of Nrf2 nucleoprotein. LPS caused extensive morphologic lung damage, which was lessened by electroacupuncture treatment. Besides, lung W/D ratios were significantly decreased, the level of malondialdehyde was inhibited, plasma levels of TNF-α and interleukin-6 were decreased, while the activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase were enhanced in the electroacupucnture treated animals. In addition, electroacupuncture stimulation distinctly increased the expressions of HO-1 and Nrf2 protein including Nrf2 total protein and nucleoprotein as well as mRNA in lung tissue, while these effects were blunted in the sham electroacupuncture group. We concluded that electroacupuncture treatment at ST36 and BL13 effectively attenuates lung injury in a rabbit model of endotoxic shock through activation of Nrf2/ARE pathway and following up-regulation of HO-1 expression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute Lung Injury / etiology*
  • Acute Lung Injury / physiopathology
  • Acute Lung Injury / prevention & control*
  • Animals
  • Antioxidant Response Elements*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Electroacupuncture*
  • Heme Oxygenase-1 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-6 / blood
  • Lung / pathology
  • Lung / physiopathology
  • Male
  • Malondialdehyde / metabolism
  • NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / genetics
  • NF-E2-Related Factor 2 / metabolism*
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Rabbits
  • Shock, Septic / complications*
  • Shock, Septic / physiopathology
  • Shock, Septic / therapy
  • Signal Transduction
  • Superoxide Dismutase / metabolism
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / blood

Substances

  • Interleukin-6
  • NF-E2-Related Factor 2
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Malondialdehyde
  • Heme Oxygenase-1
  • Superoxide Dismutase

Grants and funding

This research was supported by grants No. 81372096 from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Beijing, China, and grant 12ZCZDSY03300 from the Key Project of Tianjin Science and Technology Support, Tianjin, China. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish,or preparation of the manuscript.