Acupoint Autohemotherapy Attenuates DNCB-Induced Atopic Dermatitis and Activates Regulatory T Cells in BALB/c Mice

• Published in: Journal of inflammation research Vol. 17; pp. 2839 - 2850
• Main Authors: Yan, Shi-Hua, Chen, Yong, Huang, Zhi-Qian, Zhong, Wen-Xi, Wang, Xiao-Tian, Tang, Yang-Can, Zhao, Xu-Yi, Wu, Yu-Shan, Zhou, Chun, Zhu, Wei, Xiao, Wei, Li, Xuan, Zhang, Dong-Shu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01.01.2024; Dove; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: acupoint injection; Acupuncture; Advertising executives; anti-idiotypic immunomodulation; Atopic dermatitis; autologous whole blood; Biological response modifiers; Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; Health aspects; Immunoglobulin E; Immunoglobulin G; Interferon; Interleukins; Original Research; RNA; Skin; Skin lesions; T cells; tregs; China; atopic dermatitis; acupoint injection; autologous whole blood; Tregs; anti-idiotypic immunomodulation
• ISSN: 1178-7031; 1178-7031
• DOI: 10.2147/JIR.S454325

Acupoint autohemotherapy (A-AHT) has been proposed as an alternative and complementary treatment for atopic dermatitis (AD), yet the exact role of its blood component in terms of therapeutic efficacy and mechanism of action is still largely unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic efficacies and action mechanisms of intramuscular injections of autologous whole blood (AWB) and mouse immunoglobulin G (IgG) (autologous or heterologous) at acupoints on 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced AD mouse models. Serum levels of total immunoglobulin E (IgE), IgG, interleukin-10 (IL-10), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) were measured, as well as mRNA expression levels of Forkhead box P3 (FoxP3), IL-10 and IFN-γ in dorsal skin lesions, and IL-10 , IFN-γ and FoxP3 CD4 T cells in murine spleen. It showed that repeated acupoint injection of AWB, autologous total IgG (purified from autologous blood in AD mice) or heterologous total IgG (purified from healthy blood in normal mice) effectively reduced the severity of AD symptoms and decreased epidermal and dermal thickness as well as mast cells in skin lesions. Additionally, AWB acupoint injection was found to upregulate FoxP3 , IL-10 and IFN-γ CD4 T cells in murine spleen, suppressing the production of IgE antibodies and increasing that of IgG antibodies in the serum. Furthermore, both AWB and autologous total IgG administrations significantly elevated FoxP3 expression, mRNA levels of IL-10 and IFN-γ in dorsal skin lesions. However, acupoint injection of heterologous total IgG had no effect on regulatory T (Treg) and Th1 cells modulation. These findings suggest that the therapeutic effects of A-AHT on AD are mediated by IgG-induced activation of Treg cells.