Bee venom acupuncture reduces IL-6, increases IL-10 and induces locomotor recovery in a model of spinal cord compression

Publication date: Available online 21 April 2017 Source:Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies Author(s): Raquel Nascimento de Souza, Fernanda Kohn Silva, Magda Alves de Medeiros Spinal cord injuries (SCI) initiate a series of molecular and cellular events in which inflammatory responses can lead to major neurological dysfunctions. The present study aims to investigate whether Bee Venom (BV) acupuncture applied at the acupoints ST36 (Zunsanli) and GV3 (Yaoyangquan) could minimize locomotor deficits and the magnitude of neural tissue losses, and change the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines after SCI by compression. Wistar rats were subjected to a SCI model by compression in which a 2-French Fogarty embolectomy catheter was inflated in the extradural space. The effects of BV acupuncture, in which 20 μL of BV diluted in saline (0.08mg/kg) was injected at acupoints GV3 and ST36 [BV(ST36+GV3)-SCI] was compared with BV injected at non-acupoints [BV(NP)-SCI] and with no treatment (group subjected only to SCI [CTL-SCI]). The BV(ST36+GV3)-SCI group showed a significant improvement in the locomotor performance and a decrease of lesion size compared to the controls. BV acupuncture at the ST36 + GV3 increased the expression of IL-10 (anti-inflammatory) at 6 hours and reduced the expression of IL-6 (pro-inflammatory) at 24 hours after SCI compared to the controls. Our results suggest that BV acupuncture can reduce neuroinflammation and induce recovery in the ...
Source: Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies - Category: Complementary Medicine Source Type: research