Serum from asthmatic rat treated with acupuncture inhibits acetylcholine-induced contractile responses of airway smooth muscle cells

Abstract OBJECTIVE To investigate the influence of serum from asthmatic rat treated with acupuncture (acupuncture serum) on the contractile responses of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs). METHODS OVA-induced asthmatic rats were subject to acupuncture treatment at the points of Dazhui (GV 14), Fengmen (BL 12), and Feishu (BL 13). The resulting serum was collected, as well as serum from normal animals. Contraction of ASMCs was induced with 10 µM acetylcholine (Ach), and acupuncture serum or normal serum was supplemented 15 min later. The effects of the sera on the changes in cell length, width, and surface area were monitored in real time via a live cell imaging system. RESULTS The contraction rates of ASMCs 15 min and 30 min after Ach stimulation reached 38.2% ± 3.8% and 49.7% ± 4.6%, both of which were significantly higher than unstimulated control cells ( P P CONCLUSION Our data suggest that acupuncture serum has the effect of inhibiting Ach-induced contraction of ASMCs, thereby promoting relaxation of the cells.