Abstract
The present study investigated the effects of electroacupuncture on blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) by regulating the immune balance of T helper 17 cells (Th17 cells) and regulatory T cells (Treg cells). This study investigated the role of electroacupuncture in the immune balance of SHRs using Western blot, flow cytometry, and ELISA techniques. Electroacupuncture significantly improved blood pressure, downregulated the expression of RORγt, and upregulated the expression of Foxp3, reduced the production of Th17 cells, promoted the production of Treg cells, reduced the secretion of IL-6 and IL-17, and increased the secretion of TGF-β1 and IL-10. These findings suggest that electroacupuncture therapy effectively improved the systolic blood pressure of SHRs, and its mechanism may be related to promotion of the immune balance between Th17 and Treg.
Highlights
Hypertension is a major public health problem worldwide and an independent risk factor for the heart, brain, kidney, and blood vessel diseases [1]
E adaptive immune system primarily includes inflammatory response factors released by the T cells, and different lymphocytes and the corresponding cytokines released by the T cells contribute to the damage of the targeted organs. ere are four different phenotypes of CD4+ T cells: T helper 1 cells ( 1 cells), 2 cells, 17 cells, and the regulatory T (Treg) cells [2]
The effects of Treg cells and 17 cells are in an equilibrium state, and the imbalance of 17/Treg cells is at the heart of the pathogenesis of various diseases and conditions [7]
Summary
Hypertension is a major public health problem worldwide and an independent risk factor for the heart, brain, kidney, and blood vessel diseases [1]. Previous studies have found that the intensity of the inflammatory cells infiltration positively correlated with elevated blood pressure, and the infiltration of immune cells in the kidney may be one cause hypertension [3]. Treg cells primarily secrete transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and IL-10, which play an anti-inflammatory role [11, 12]. Previous studies showed that electroacupuncture had anti-inflammatory effects [19] and regulated the balance of 17/Treg [20]. Erefore, we asked whether the hypotensive effect of electroacupuncture was related to the regulation of 17/Treg and their inflammatory factors. Based on the pathogenesis of hypertension and the effects of electroacupuncture, we used spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) as the research subjects to examine the role of electroacupuncture in improving the systolic blood pressure (SBP) by regulating the balance of 17/Treg
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