The Effect Of Auricular-plaster Therapy On Expression Of The TLR4Sig-naling Pathway Gene In Sleep-deprived Rats

Objective:1. To observe the effect of auricular-plaster therapy on the sleep duration of(nembutal) sleep-deprived rats.2. To observe the effect of auricular-plaster therapy on both the visceral index and the contents ofmRNA in key genes, like TLR4, MyD88, IRAK1, TRAF6, NF-κB, TRIF, etc., of PCPAsleep-deprived rats.3. To probe into the mechanism of treating insomnia with auricular-plaster therapy and therelationship between auricular-plaster therapy and the immune system.Methods:1. Observe changes in the rats’ sleep duration among control group, model group andauricular-plaster group by measuring the sleep duration of (nembutal) sleep-deprived rats.2. Divide the rats randomly into four groups: control group, model group, Diazepam group andauricular-plaster group. The rats will be deprived of sleep by means of PCPA intraperitonealinjection, and then be treated with auricular-plaster therapy for5days. After5days, changes insplenic and thymic index will be detected by PCR to check the content of key gene mRNA inTLR4signaling pathway.Results:1. The sleep duration of model and auricular-plaster group lasts longer than that ofcontrol group, which manifests a significant difference (P＜0.05); After being treated withauricular-plaster, the sleep-deprived rats in auricular-plaster group sleep apparently less thanthose in model group, which manifests a significant difference (P＜0.05).2.Sleep deprivation by means of PCPA injection works out.3.The increased body weight of model group is lower than that of control group, auricular-plastergroup and Diazepam group,which manifests a significant difference (P＜0.05).4.The thymus visceral index of model group is lower than that of control group, auricular-plastergroup and Diazepam group, which manifests a significant difference (P＜0.05).5.After rats inmodel group being deprived of sleep, expression of the key gene mRNA, like TLR4、IRAK1、TRAF6、NF-κB、TRIF etc., doubles than that of control group. And it drops apparently to thesame level as that of control group after the rats being treated with auricular-plaster therapy andneuroleptic treatment. Both of the changes manifest significant differences (P＜0.05). Conclusion:1.Auricular-plaster therapy has a relatively positive effect on PCPA sleep-deprivedrats.2.Sleep deprivation has an obvious effect on the weight of the rats, which indicates that sleep canaffect not only the nervous system but also the endocrine system.3.After the rats being deprived of sleep, expressions of key genes in TLR4signaling pathway getraised, and the expressions return to normal level after auricular-plaster therapy and neuroleptictreatment, which indicates that insomnia has prominent effects on immune function, and treatinginsomnia with auricular-plaster therapy and neuroleptic treatment has something to do with theadjustment of immune function.