Electroacupuncture at the ST36 acupoint increases interleukin-4 responsiveness in macrophages, generation of alternatively activated macrophages and susceptibility to Leishmania major infection
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2012
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Background: Electroacupuncture (EA) has been used to treat inflammatory diseases. Alternatively activated
macrophages (AAMo) stimulated by cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10 and IL-13 are anti-inflammatory and
mildly microbicidal. This study aimed to evaluate whether EA at the Zusanli acupoint (ST36) would change the
profile of healthy murine macrophages, particularly the generation of AAMo and susceptibility to Leishmania major
infection.
Methods: BALB/c mice were treated with EA (15/30 Hz) at the ST36 acupoint for 20 min/d for 5 d. After the final
EA session, the mice were euthanized and their peritoneal cells were harvested and counted for determination of
arginase activity, nitric oxide (NO) production and microbicidal activity after culture in the presence or absence of
IL-4, interferon-γ (IFNγ) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or both IFNγ and LPS. Twelve mice were infected with L. major
promastigotes into the footpads after the final EA session and the infection course was monitored.
Results: Peritoneal cells freshly obtained from EA-treated mice had similar arginase and microbicidal activities to
cells from sham-treated mice. After culture with IL-4, cells from EA-treated mice exhibited significant increases in
the arginase activity (sham: 58 ± 11.3 vs. EA: 80.7 ± 4.6%, P = 0.025) and number of parasites/infected cell (sham:
2.5 ± 0.4 vs. EA: 4.3 ± 0.8 cells, P = 0.007). The NO production was lower in cells from EA-treated mice cultured in the
presence of a combination of IFNγ and LPS (sham: 31.6 ± 6.5 vs. EA: 22.3 ± 2.1 μM, P = 0.025). The lesion size in mice
infected with L. major promastigotes was larger in EA-treated mice (sham: 3.26 ± 0.29 vs. EA: 2.23 ± 0.4 mm,
P = 0.039).
Conclusion: EA at the ST36 acupoint increases IL-4 responsiveness in macrophages, Generation of AAMo and
susceptibility to L. major infection
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AGUIAR, Danillo N.; SILVA, Mayara M.; PARREIRA, Walki V.; TOME, Fernanda D.; BATISTA, Lucas F.; GOMES, Clayson M.; OLIVEIRA, Milton A. P. Electroacupuncture at the ST36 acupoint increases interleukin-4 responsiveness in macrophages, generation of alternatively activated macrophages and susceptibility to Leishmania major infection. Chinese Medicine, Macao, v. 7, p. 1-9, 2012.