Evidence Details for Crh
PMID Title Journal Year Abstract
27179524 Effect of Maternal Electroacupuncture on Perinatal Nicotine Exposure-Induced Lung Phenotype in Offspring. Lung. 2016 Aug;194(4):535-46. doi: 10.1007/s00408-016-9899-7. Epub 2016 May 14. 2016 Aug INTRODUCTION: Pregnant women exposed to tobacco smoke predispose the offspring to many adverse consequences including an altered lung development and function. There is no effective therapeutic intervention to block the effects of smoke exposure on the developing lung. Clinical and animal studies demonstrate that acupuncture can modulate a variety of pathophysiological processes, including those involving the respiratory system; however, whether acupuncture affects the lung damage caused by perinatal smoke exposure is not known. METHODS: To determine the effect of acupuncture on perinatal nicotine exposure on the developing lung, pregnant rat dams were administered (1) saline, (2) nicotine, or (3) nicotine + electroacupuncture (EA). Nicotine was administered (1 mg/kg subcutaneously) once a day and EA was applied to both ""Zusanli"" (ST 36) points. Both interventions were administered from gestational day 6 to postnatal day 21 (PND21), following which pups were sacrificed. Lungs, blood, and brain were collected to examine markers of lung injury, repair, and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. RESULTS: Concomitant EA application blocked nicotine-induced changes in lung morphology, lung peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma and wingless-int signaling, two key lung developmental signaling pathways, hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (hypothalamic corticotropic releasing hormone and lung glucocorticoid receptor levels), and plasma beta-endorphin levels. CONCLUSIONS: Electroacupuncture blocks the nicotine-induced changes in lung developmental signaling pathways and the resultant myogenic lung phenotype, known to be present in the affected offspring. We conclude that EA is a promising novel intervention against the smoke exposed lung damage to the developing lung."

Evidence Sentence: Since fetal lung development is driven by HPA axis and acupuncture is known to modulate HPA axis, we next determined hypothalamic CRH and its downstream target relevant for lung development, i.e., lung GR levels.
Evidence Sentence: Compared to the saline only-administered group, hypothalamic CRH content (ELISA) in the nicotine-treated group decreased significantly; however, concomitant EA treatment blocked this decrease (Fig.
Evidence Sentence: Lastly, since CRH regulates beta-endorphin levels, an important marker of body's stress response, which is a key factor in determining lung development and is known to be affected by acupuncture, we next determined the effect of perinatal nicotine exposure and EA on plasma beta-endorphin levels.
Evidence Sentence: In line with the other data on HPA axis (hypothalamic CRH and lung GR levels), concomitant EA administration blocked perinatal nicotine-induced decrease in plasma beta-endorphin levels (Fig.