Objective To observe the effect of electroacupuncture(EA)stimulation of"Feishu"(BL13)on lung pathological changes

and levels of pulmonary and serum IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-αin viral pneumonia mice

so as to explore its mechanisms underlying improvement of viral pneumonia.Methods Fifty Kunming mice were randomly divided into normal control

model

medication

EA and moxibustion groups

with 10 mice in each group.The viral pneumonia model was established by intra-nose drip of influenza A1 virus FM1(H1N1).Rats of the EA group were treated by EA stimulation of bilateral BL13

those of the moxibustion group treated by ignited moxa-stick

and those of the medication group treated by intraperitoneal injection of Yanhuning injection(10mg·Kg-1·d-1

solved in 5%glucose solution

5mL/time/mouse

once daily for 1week).Both EA and moxibustion treatments were conducted for 20 min

twice a day for a week.The lung index[lung weight/body weight×100%]were calculated after the treatment.Pathological changes of the lung were observed under microscope after H.E.staining

and serum and pulmonary IL-10

TNF-αlevels were detected using solid phase sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results Following modeling

the average lung index

serum TNF-α

and pulmonary TNF-αand IL-10 levels were significantly increased in the model group(P<0.05)

while after the treatment

the average lung index and serum TNF-αand pulmonary IL-10 levels in the EA

moxibustion and medication groups were notably down-regulated(P<0.05

P<0.01)

and serum IL-10 contents of the three treatment groups were obviously up-regulated(P<0.01).The effect of the EA group was apparently superior to that of the medication group in down-regulating lung index(P<0.05).No significant differences were found among the three treatment groups in the levels of serum TNF-αand IL-10

and pulmonary TNF-αand IL-10(P>0.05).In addition

results of H.E.stain showed that the treatment of medication

moxibustion and EA might reduce H1N1-induced pulmonary pathological changes.Conclusion EA stimulation of"Feishu"(BL13)can down-regulate lung index and serum TNF-αand up-regulate serum IL-10 level in viral pneumonia mice

which may contribute to its effect in relieving asthma.