Catgut Implantation at Acupoints has an Immunosuppressive Effect on Autoimmune Uveitis by Regulating Th1/Th17 Lymphocytes

Catgut implantation at acupoints (CIA) has a long history as a medical treatment for a wide variety of diseases, including autoimmune diseases. However, the effect and mechanism of this therapy in autoimmune uveitis is still largely unknown. The aim of this study was to explore the immunity-inhibitory effect of CIA in an experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU) rat model. EAU was established in Lewis rats by the injection of IRBP1177–1191 peptide. The rats were randomly divided into control and CIA groups. Phenotypic and histological assessments were performed days 9, 13, 18, 23 post-immunization. The percentage of Th1 and Th17 lymphocytes isolated from lymph nodes were determined by flow cytometry. The expression of IL-17 and IFN-γ was detected by real-time quantitative PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In the CIA group, delayed mild inflammation was observed. Pathological investigation found alleviated infiltration of lymphocytes and ocular damage. Flow cytometry showed significantly decreased Th17 lymphocytes at day 9, 13, and 18 post-immunization (P<0.05) and no significant changes at day 23 post-immunization (P=0.868) after CIA. The Th1 lymphocytes were significantly decreased at day 13 and 18 post-immunization (P<0.05) and comparable at day 9 (P=0.111) and 23 (P=0.551) post-immunization in the CIA group. IL-17 and IFN-γ mRNA levels were notably decreased at day 9, 13 and 18 post-immunization (P<0.05) and showed a downward trend at day 23 post-immunization, although with no significance (P=0.080 and P=0.137, respectively) after CIA. Serum IL-17 and IFN-γ levels in the CIA group were significantly decreased at day 9, 13 and 18 post-immunization (P<0.05) and were comparable at day 23 post-immunization (P=0.078 and P=0.979, respectively). Ocular inflammation was markedly inhibited after catgut implantation at Pishu (BL20) and Shenshu (BL23) acupoints in an EAU rat model. Moreover, CIA reduced Th1 and Th17 lymphocytes and the expression IFN-γ and IL-17.

Evaluation of catgut implantation at acupoints for asthma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: This study aims to systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of catgut implantation at acupoints (CIA) treating asthma, extracting data from the published clinical trials. Methods: The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM), CNKI, WANFANG and VIP databases were searched up to February 2017. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving CIA or CIA plus conventional medicine treatment (CMT) were selected with CMT as control. We assessed the methodological quality of RCTs using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Review of Interventions. The outcome data of trials were analyzed using RevMan5.3. Results: A total of 12 studies ([Formula: see text]) were included. Most of the included studies were assessed to have high risk of bias with low quality of methodology. CIA application significantly improved the overall therapeutic efficacy ([Formula: see text]) and pulmonary function (forced expiratory volume in 1[Formula: see text]s (FEV1) and FEV1%, [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]) and reduced the overall scores of TCM symptoms ([Formula: see text]). Further, it significantly relieved several TCM symptoms including shortness of breath, chest distress and cough ([Formula: see text]). However, CIA only exerted a protective tendency for expectoration and wheezing without significant difference and had no effects on recurrence rate (all [Formula: see text]). Conclusions: CIA treatment could improve the overall efficacy and pulmonary function and relief several symptoms. However, the evidence remains weak. Rigorous and larger trials will be the basis of the effectiveness and long-term effects of CIA therapies.