Electroacupuncture ST37 treatment for DSS-induced colitis in mice

This study investigated the therapeutic effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at the Shangjuxu (ST37) acupoint on experimentally induced colitis in mice and examined the underlying mechanisms involving the vagal cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. Mice were divided into four groups: control, model (DSS-induced colitis), EA treatment, and MLA group (EA treatment with α7nAChR antagonist). Colitis was induced by providing mice with 2.5% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) solution for 7 days. The researchers assessed colitis severity through multiple parameters including body weight changes, colon length measurements, and histopathological examination using H&E staining. Cytokine levels in proximal colon tissue were quantified using MSD assay. The study employed immunofluorescence techniques to evaluate the activation of ChAT-positive neurons in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) and examined cholinergic markers in the colon. Anatomical relationships between ChAT-positive fibers and α7nAChR-positive cells were investigated. Additionally, electrophysiological recordings were performed to measure vagal efferent fiber activity.

This study investigated the therapeutic effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at the Shangjuxu (ST37) acupoint on experimentally induced colitis in mice and examined the underlying mechanisms involving the vagal cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway. Mice were divided into four groups: control, model (DSS-induced colitis), EA treatment, and MLA group (EA treatment with α7nAChR antagonist). Colitis was induced by providing mice with 2.5% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) solution for 7 days. The researchers assessed colitis severity through multiple parameters including body weight changes, colon length measurements, and histopathological examination using H&E staining. Cytokine levels in proximal colon tissue were quantified using MSD assay. The study employed immunofluorescence techniques to evaluate the activation of ChAT-positive neurons in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) and examined cholinergic markers in the colon. Anatomical relationships between ChAT-positive fibers and α7nAChR-positive cells were investigated. Additionally, electrophysiological recordings were performed to measure vagal efferent fiber activity. The results demonstrated that EA treatment significantly reduced body weight loss and colon tissue damage, effects that were blocked by the α7nAChR antagonist MLA. Pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, CXCL1, IL-1β, IL-5) were elevated in colitis but reduced following EA treatment. The study revealed that EA enhanced activation of ChAT-positive neurons in the DMV, restored α7nAChR content in the proximal colon, and increased cervical vagal efferent fiber activity.