Exploring the Effect of Electroacupuncture on Th17/Treg Immune Balance in Mice with Ulcerative Colitis Based on IL-6/STAT3 Signaling Pathway
Objective To observe the effect of electroacupuncture(EA)on the immune balance between helper T cell 17(Th 17)/regulatory T cells(Treg)in the spleens of mice with dextran sulfate sodium(DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis(UC)by modulating the interleukin-6(IL-6)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3)signaling pathway,and to explore part of the mechanism of EA on treating UC.Methods Male C57BL/6N mice were randomly divided into UC model group,EA group,and sham acupuncture(SA)group,with 10 mice in each group,and 10 mice in the blank control group.After establishing the UC model mice by DSS free-drinking method,bilateral"Tianshu(ST25)"and"Shangjiuxu(ST37)"were selected for EA or SA treatment for 20 min each time,with a total of 10 times.The general condition and disease activity index(DAI)of the mice in each group were observed,the pathological changes of colon tissue were observed by HE staining,the levels of IL-6,IL-10 and IL-17 in serum were detected by ELISA,and the protein expression levels of IL-6,STAT3,retinoic acid-related orphan receptor gamma t(RORγt)and Forkhead box protein P3(FoxP3)were detected by Western blot in the colon tissue.Results Compared with the blank group,mice in the model group had significantly higher DAI scores(P＜0.01),with colonic mucosal rupture and massive inflammatory cell infiltration.Significant increases were detected in serum IL-6 and IL-17 levels(P＜0.01),with significant reductions in IL-10 levels(P＜0.01).Significant increases were detected in the expression of IL-6,STAT3,and RORγt in colonic tissues(P＜0.01),with the decreased expression of FoxP3(P＜0.05).The percentage of Th17 cells in the spleen was increased and the percentage of Treg cells was decreased(P＜0.05).Compared with the model group,mice in the EA group had lower DAI scores(P＜0.05),with reduced colonic injury,decreased inflammatory infiltration.Decreased serum IL-6 and IL-17 levels,with increased IL-10 levels(P＜0.05)were detected.Significantly lower IL-6,STAT3,and RORγt expression in the colonic tissues(P＜0.01),and increased FoxP3 expression(P＜0.05)were detected,as well as the decreased percentage of Th17 cells and increased percentage of Treg cells in spleen(P＜0.05).However,the colonic injury of mice in the SA group did not show any improvement,and no statistical difference was observed in these indexes compared with the model group.Conclusion EA may exert a therapeutic effect on UC by down-regulating the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway and promoting the restoration of immune balance by Th17/Treg,thereby diminishing intestinal inflammation in UC mice.
万方数据
