| Hypertension is a common chronic disease in modern society, which threatens billions of people’s health. A moden life style with fast pace can cause psychological and emotional stress, which may develop into a gradual increase in hypertension. This kind of high blood pressure that caused by the long-term tension and stress is defined as stress-induced hypertension. The stage people’s blood pressure gradually rises from normal to diagnostic hypertension is called pre-hypertension, during which the systolic blood pressure ranges between 120-139 mmHg and (or) diastolic blood pressure between 80-89 mmHg. Nowadays, acupuncture therapy has been widely applied in the treatment of hypertension in clinical practices. Lots of researches confirmed that acupuncture reduces blood pressure by immune system, nervous system, and vascular endothelial cell. Gene chip technology, characterized by high sensitivity and throughput, is a new method to analyze gene expression. It could detect multiple gene expression at the same time which provides a platform for the study of multiple genes influenced hypertension. However, previous researches on treatment of hypertension were more concentrated on anti-hypertensive treatment and protection of target organs, which are applied in the middle and late stages. Fewer researches were focused on gene expression and intervention of pre-hypertension.Objective:Based on the principle of "prevention before disease", this study is to treat pre-hypertension rats with twirling-reducing needling manipulation, and use gene chip technology and RT-PCR technology to screening of differentially expressed genes, further select the differential expressed genes which are closely related to hypertension to study. To explore the acupuncture effect on stress-induced pre-hypertension, and try to systematically reveal its biological mechanisms and provide a new idea for the prevention and treatment of hypertension by acupuncture.Methods:Twenty-seven,male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=9/group):blank control group, model control group and model+twirling-reducing needling manipulation group. Foot-shocks combined with generated noise was applied in the preparation of stress-induced pre-hypertension model and lasted for 14 days.Twirling-reducing needling manipulation was used on Taichong(LR3) and Quchi(LI11) of twirling-reducing needling manipulation group along the molding cycle. Taichong (LR3) is located in the dorsum of the foot, in the depression anterior to the junction of the first and second metatarsals. Quchi (LIU) is located at the proximal end of radius, in the depression lateral and anterior to the elbow joint. The needles (0.16mm×7mm, purchased from Zhong Yan Tai He Acupuncture Goods Co. Ltd.) were directly inserted into LR3 and LI 11 bilaterally for 1mm and 4mm respectively by right hand. After insertion, the needles were twirled backward forcefully and forward gently,360° per time and 60 times per minute.The twirling-reducing needling manipulation was practiced again 10 minutes later, and the the needles were withdrawn after another 10 minutes’retention. The model control and blank control group rats were grabbed in the same restrainers for 20min without any other intervene.Systolic blood pressure(SBP) was tested one day before work and on the 3rd,5th,7th,9th,llth,13th and 15th day.Gene expression profiles was determined by Rat Gene 2.0 Array technology. RT-PCR technology was used to testify the trend of hypertension related gene expression.Results:SBP of blank control group rats stayed normal along the modeling cycle. Comparatively, at the 3rd day, SPB of model control group elevated to 120 mmHg(P<0.01), and continuously rose to 139 mmHg, along with changes like irritation,squealing,yellow urination and bloodshot eyes,which indicates the success of modeling. SBP of twirling-reducing needling manipulation group was significantly lower (P<0.05) than model control group since the 5th day. Microarray analysis showed that compared to blank control group,187 gene expressions were changed in model control group, from which,99 were up-regulated and 88 were down-regulated. Compared with model control group,198 gene expressions were changed in model control group, from which,106 were up-regulated and 92 were down-regulated in twirling-reducing needling manipulation group. The result also showed there were 43 gene expressions up-regulated in model control group while down-regulated in twirling-reducing needling manipulation group, and 34 gene expressions down-regulated in model control group while up-regulated in twirling-reducing needling manipulation group (P <0.05, fold changes ≥1.5 or fold changes≤-1.5). The expression of CYP1A1 and IGFBP-1, which have a close relationship with hypertension and organ damage, was significantly changed by Twirling-reducing needling.Conclusion:1. Twirling-reducing needling manipulation at Taichong and Quchi can significantly lower the SBP of stress-induced pre-hypertension rats.2. Twirling-reducing needling manipulation at Taichong and Quchi can effect the gene expression in stress-induced pre-hypertension rat’s kidney3. The inner mechanism maybe related to the different expression of CYP1 A1 and IGFBP-1. |
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