Name: acupuncture in a rat model of asthma
Uploaded: 2020-08-25T15:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Acupuncture in a Rat Model of Asthma at JoVE.com

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81922076, 81973951, 81873373), Construction project of collaborative innovation of shanghai (No. ZYJKFW201811010, ZYJKFW201701005).

All animal experiments were reviewed and approved by the Committee on the Ethics of Animal Experiments of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Ethical clearance number PZSHUTCM190308020).
1. Fabrication of the high platform
<ol>
	<li>Set the length and width of the supporting device to 86 cm x 17 cm (Figure 1).</li>
	<li>Fix the connecting device vertically to the supporting device. The connecting device should b...

<ol>
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The GV14, bilateral BL12 and bilateral BL13 acupoints used in this study are located on the back, and thus the high platform is suitable for fixing rats. In other studies, an adequate fixation method should be selected according to the position of the acupoints15. For acupoints on the abdomen, the rat can be placed downward in a black cone (similar to a pastry bag used by bakers)17. A chain is attached to the restraint cone for fixation, and the hind leg of the rat is also ...

Asthma is a chronic disease characterized by bronchoconstriction and airway hyper-responsiveness1. Approximately 339.4 million people worldwide are diagnosed with asthma2. The prevalence of asthma is increasing globally, with 100 million new cases expected in the next decade3. Inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting &#946;2-agonists do not effectively control the symptoms of all patients4. Therefore, the use of alternative therapies such as acupuncture to treat asthma has been receiving increased attention5. An effective method for treating asthma is to needle GV14 (Dazhui), bilateral BL12 (Fengmen) and bilateral BL13 (Feishu)6. Acupuncture significantly reduces the levels of secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) in the saliva and nasal secretions of patients with allergic asthma and reduces peripheral blood eosinophil counts with a total effective rate of 85%6. Acupuncture at BL13 and ST36 (Zusanli) in mice with chronic asthma decreases the level of IL-17 by 40% and decreases the smooth muscle thickness by 33% compared with that of the ovalbumin (OVA) group, and thus relieving inflammation symptoms7,8. However, the mechanism of acupuncture treatment for asthma is not completely clear.
Animal models are an important tool for asthma research9 because the animal model can be used for the continuous measurement of respiratory function to assess the effectiveness of the asthma treatment10. Meanwhile, studies of the pathophysiology of asthma require test samples, including samples from the trachea, lung and bronchoalveolar lavage to verify changes in the levels of key factors11. Rat models of asthma are commonly used to assess asthma pathophysiology because they produce long-lasting airway responses and show immediate and late-phase airway responses12. However, due to repeated experimental stimulation, the rats often become irritable. Therefore, a suitable method to fix rats is needed. Commonly used methods for rat fixation include anesthesia and binding13. Although the anesthesia method provides better exposure of the acupoints, it may affect nerve conduction and ultimately affect the experimental results14. The binding method does not induce the same physiological effects as anesthesia, but restrained rats will experience skeletal muscle tension. Also, the needle cannot easily reach the designated position15. Here, we introduce a high platform that can be used to fix rats without restricting them and fully expose the acupoints on the back. The rats can be placed on the high platform during the administration of acupuncture. The high platform is able to accommodate the rat only while it is standing, and as it is placed a certain distance from the ground, the rats will not move because of a fear of heights16.
This article describes in detail the fabrication of the high platform, the establishment of a rat model of asthma, the operation of needling a rat on the high platform and the measurement of respiratory function using a whole-body plethysmography (WBP) system.

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			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:267px;">0.3 mm x 13.0 mm acupuncture needle</td>
			<td style="width:192px;">China Suzhou Medical Device Factory</td>
			<td style="width:114px;"></td>
			<td style="width:154px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="25">
			<td height="25" style="height:24px;width:267px;">Al(OH)3</td>
			<td style="width:192px;">American Thermo</td>
			<td style="width:114px;">77161</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="42">
			<td height="42" style="height:42px;">Compression nebulizer</td>
			<td style="width:192px;">Jiangsu Lude Medical Electronics Co., Ltd.</td>
			<td style="width:114px;">NB-212C</td>
			<td></td>
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			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:267px;">Fine Pointe V2.0</td>
			<td style="width:192px;">American Buxco</td>
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			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:267px;">Laboratory gas drying unit</td>
			<td style="width:192px;">American Drierite</td>
			<td style="width:114px;">26800</td>
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			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:267px;">Methacholine</td>
			<td style="width:192px;">American Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:114px;">MKCF6054</td>
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			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:267px;">Ovalbumin</td>
			<td style="width:192px;">American Sigma</td>
			<td style="width:114px;">A5503-25G</td>
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			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:267px;">Phosphate Buffer solution (1x)</td>
			<td style="width:192px;">Gelifesciences</td>
			<td style="width:114px;">SH30256.01</td>
			<td></td>
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			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:267px;">Seal box</td>
			<td style="width:192px;">IRIS Corporation of Japan</td>
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			<td height="42" style="height:42px;width:267px;">Whole-body plethysmography respiratory function measurement system</td>
			<td style="width:192px;">American Buxco</td>
			<td style="width:114px;"></td>
			<td></td>
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acupuncture in a rat model of asthma

A high platform can fix rats without restriction and completely expose the acupoints on the back during acupuncture manipulation. This article describes methods for the fabrication of the high platform, establishes a rat model of asthma and measures changes in respiratory function using a noninvasive and real-time whole-body plethysmography (WBP) system.

With acupuncture at the GV14, bilateral BL12 and bilateral BL13 points, the rat maintains a prone position. The rat can twist its head only to the outside and not the inside because one direction is blocked with a wooden board (Figure 5).
As the methacholine concentration increased, Penh shows an increasing trend and the growth rate gradually increases. At concentrations of 3.125 mg/mL, 6.25 mg/mL, 12.5 mg/mL, 25 mg/mL and 50 mg/mL, Penh increased by 18.40% &#177;...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Acupuncture in a Rat Model of Asthma at JoVE.com

Acupuncture in a Rat Model of Asthma

A high platform can fix rats without restriction and completely expose the acupoints on the back during acupuncture manipulation. This article describes ...

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