Abstract
Background and Aims Psychological disorders are prevalent in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. The aim of this study was to study whether electroacupuncture (EA) and moxibustion (MB) can improve anxiety behavior in DSS-induced colitis mice and to investigate whether this effect is related to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis. Methods The colitis model was established by drinking 2.5% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). DSS-induced colitis mice were treated by EA or MB. Disease activity index (DAI) was scored; intestinal morphological and pathological structure was observed; anxiety behavior was tested by the elevated plus maze and open field. The concentration of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and cortisol (CORT) in serum was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The protein expression of CRH in the colon and hypothalamus was detected by Western blot (WB). Results Both EA and MB treatments can improvethe morphology of their distal colonic mucosal epithelia, as well as the disease activity index. Meanwhile, anxiety behavior in colitis mice was improved slightly after EA and MB treatment. In addition, the levels of CRH and CORT in the serum were slightly improved after EA and MB treatment. These effects are further supported by WB results. The expression of CRH in the colon and hypothalamus was increased significantly after treatment, compared with the model group. Conclusion EA and MB were able to regulate the concentration of CRH in serum and protein expression in the peripheral and central at different levels and promote the recovery of the HPA axis that may be the basis for EA and MB to improve colonic pathology and alleviate anxiety behavior in DSS-induced colitis.
Highlights
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a common kind of chronic colonic inflammation disease in North America and Northern Europe with incidence varying from nine to twenty cases per one hundred thousand person-years [1]
Mice in the normal group (NG) group had normal food and water intake, were active, and had dense and shiny pelts. Their feces appeared normal, and their perianal skin remained clean, while the model group (MD) group shown debility and anorexia; food intake was reduced, and the hairs appeared rough and less shiny. They reduced activity levels and were startled; they had increased stool frequency, bloody mucus was seen in the feces, the perianal skin was dirty with feces, and the Disease activity index (DAI) scores increased significantly
The results show that the average optical density (AOD) of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) expression of the hypothalamus in the MD group was significantly reduced
Summary
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a common kind of chronic colonic inflammation disease in North America and Northern Europe with incidence varying from nine to twenty cases per one hundred thousand person-years [1]. Anxiety behavior in colitis mice was improved slightly after EA and MB treatment. The levels of CRH and CORT in the serum were slightly improved after EA and MB treatment. These effects are further supported by WB results. The expression of CRH in the colon and hypothalamus was increased significantly after treatment, compared with the model group. EA and MB were able to regulate the concentration of CRH in serum and protein expression in the peripheral and central at different levels and promote the recovery of the HPA axis that may be the basis for EA and MB to improve colonic pathology and alleviate anxiety behavior in DSS-induced colitis
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