Abstract Objective: This study aimed to examine how moxibustion regulates short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production to reduce airway inflammation in asthmatic rats. Materials and Methods: An asthmatic rat model was prepared by ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization and atomization. After successful modeling, the animals were assigned to the BL13 (moxibustion at the Feishu BL13 point), ST25 (moxibustion at the Tianshu ST25 point), and BL13-ST25 (moxibustion at the BL13 and ST25 points) groups. A 30-min moxibustion intervention was performed once daily for 14 consecutive days. After treatment, the levels of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-13, and IL-17 proteins and mRNA in lung tissue were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, respectively. SCFA levels in bone marrow and blood were quantitated using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The expression of immunocostimulatory molecules, including CD11b, CD40, CD86, and PD-L1, in bone marrow and blood was assessed by ELISA and immunoblotting. Results: Compared with the model group, the numbers of eosinophils and neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were significantly reduced in the BL13-ST25 group ( P < 0.05). In addition, IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and IL-17 protein and mRNA amounts were markedly decreased in the BL13-ST25 group versus the model group ( P < 0.05), while bone marrow and blood acetic, propionic, and butyric acid amounts were remarkably elevated ( P < 0.05). Finally, bone marrow and blood CD11b, CD40, CD86, and PD-L1 levels were significantly lower ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: Moxibustion can alleviate airway inflammation in asthmatic rats, which may be related to the regulation of SCFAs in blood and bone marrow, affecting the expression of immune cell co-stimulatory molecules, thereby influencing T-cell differentiation.
Zhou et al. (Thu,) studied this question.
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