Abstract

The effects of chemical sympathectomy on moxibustion-induced changes in splenic natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity, T and B cell proliferation were studied. Direct moxibustion was applied to the unilateral Zusanli region. NK cell cytotoxicity was suppressed by moxibustion in both vehicle-treated rats and sympathectomized rats. T cell proliferation was not affected by moxibustion. B cell proliferation showed no significant change in vehicle-treated rats, but an increase was seen in sympathectomized rats treated with moxibustion. Sympathectomy alone induced an augmentation of NK cell cytotoxicity and a suppression of T cell proliferation. These results suggest that the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) has no significant role in the mechanism of moxibustion-induced immunomodulation. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Author keywords

6-hydroxydopamine; B cell; Chemical sympathectomy; Moxibustion; NK cell; T cell

Indexed keywords

EMTREE medical terms: adrenergic system; alternative medicine; animal cell; animal experiment; animal tissue; article; B lymphocyte; cell proliferation; controlled study; cytotoxicity; immunomodulation; male; natural killer cell; nonhuman; priority journal; rat; spleen cell; sympathectomy; T lymphocyte

MeSH: Animals; Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; Immunosuppression; Killer Cells, Natural; Lymphocyte Activation; Male; Moxibustion; Neuroimmunomodulation; Oxidopamine; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Spleen; Sympathectomy, Chemical; Sympathetic Nervous System; T-Lymphocytes
Medline is the source for the MeSH terms of this document.

Chemicals and CAS Registry Numbers: Oxidopamine, 1199-18-4