Objective To investigate the protein expression of CC chemokine ligand 1(CCL1) and CC chemokine receptor 8(CCR8) in the lung tissue of rats and the mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion at "Feishu"(BL13)

"Dazhui"(GV14) and "Fengmen"(BL12) in the treatment of asthma. Methods Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into blank

model

acupuncture and moxibustion groups

n=10 in each group. Ovalbumin sensitization via intraperitoneal injection was performed to establish a model of asthma. The rats in the acupuncture group and the moxibustion group were given acupuncture for 20 min or circling moxibustion for 10 min at BL13

GV14 and BL12

once a day for 7 days. H.E. staining was used to observe the morphological changes of lung tissue. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 6(STAT6) in lung tissue and immunohistochemistry was used to measure the protein expression of CCL1 and CCR8 in lung tissue. Results H.E. staining showed that the rats in the blank group had regular bronchial lumens and alveolar arrangement

with no inflammatory cell infiltration and aggregation around the bronchi; the rats in the model group had the infiltration and aggregation of a large number of inflammatory cells around the bronchi

stenosis of bronchial lumens

wall thickening

and alveolar structural disorder; compared with the model group

the acupuncture group and the moxibustion group had lower degrees of inflammatory cell infiltration and aggregation around the bronchi

stenosis of bronchial lumens

and wall thickening

as well as regular alveolar arrangement. The model group had significantly higher protein expression of CCL1 and CCR8 and mRNA expression of STAT6 than the blank group(P<0.05)

and the acupuncture group and the moxibustion group had significantly lower protein expression of CCL1 and CCR8 and mRNA expression of STAT6(P<0.05). Conclusion Acupuncture and moxibustion can intervene against airway inflammation by inhibiting the protein expression of CCL1 and CCR8 and STAT6 signal transduction in lung tissue

which may be one of the mechanisms of acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of asthma.