Bioluminescence Imaging of Heme Oxygenase-1 Upregulation in the Gua Sha Procedure

作者：Kenneth K. Kwong1,2, Lenuta Kloetzer1,2,3,4, Kelvin K. Wong5,6, Jia-Qian Ren1,2, Braden Kuo1,2,3,4, Yan Jiang7, Y. Iris Chen1,2, Suk-Tak Chan1,2,8, Geoffrey S. Young9, Stephen T.C. Wong5,6 1Department of Radiology,Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 2Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging,Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 3Gastrointestinal Unit,Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 4Department of Medicine,Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 5Center for biotechnology and Informatics,The Methodist Hospital Research Institute, 6Department of Radiology,The Methodist Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College, 7Bejing University of Chinese Medicine, 8Department of Health Technology and Informatics,The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 9Department of Radiology,Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School

简介：Gua Sha, traditional Chinese therapeutic skin scraping, causes subcutaneous microvascular blood extravasation. We report a protocol of bioluminescence imaging of HO-1-luciferase transgenic mice to demonstrate that Gua Sha upregulates heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in multiple organs.

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Overview

This study investigates the effects of Gua Sha, a traditional Chinese therapeutic technique, on heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) regulation in a live mouse model. Using bioluminescence imaging, the research demonstrates that Gua Sha induces subcutaneous microvascular blood extravasation and upregulates HO-1 in various organs.

Key Study Components

Area of Science

• Neuroscience
• Biology
• Therapeutic Techniques

Background

• Gua Sha is a traditional Chinese medicine technique involving skin scraping.
• Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is an important enzyme with cytoprotective effects.
• Understanding the regulation of HO-1 can provide insights into therapeutic mechanisms.
• Bioluminescence imaging allows for real-time monitoring of biological processes in vivo.

Purpose of Study

• To demonstrate the systemic effects of Gua Sha on HO-1 regulation.
• To utilize bioluminescence imaging for observing physiological changes in live mice.
• To explore the implications of traditional therapies in modern biomedical research.

Methods Used

• Bioluminescence imaging of HO-1-luciferase transgenic mice.
• Application of Gua Sha technique on the skin of the mice.
• Monitoring of blood extravasation and HO-1 expression levels.
• Analysis of multiple organs for HO-1 upregulation.

Main Results

• Gua Sha caused significant microvascular blood extravasation.
• HO-1 expression was upregulated in multiple organs post-treatment.
• Bioluminescence imaging effectively tracked the physiological changes.
• The findings suggest potential therapeutic benefits of Gua Sha.

Conclusions

• Gua Sha may enhance HO-1 expression, indicating its therapeutic potential.
• Bioluminescence imaging is a valuable tool for studying traditional therapies.
• Further research is needed to explore the mechanisms behind these effects.

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