Asthma is a common chronic disease in children that can cause recurrent airway inflammation and lead to cognitive dysfunction and memory impairment. Chiropractic therapy, a traditional Chinese medicine treatment, has shown potential therapeutic effects in improving asthma symptoms and enhancing immune function, but its mechanism in regulating learning and memory abilities is not fully understood.

To explore the mechanism of chiropractic spinal therapy improving airway inflammation in adolescent asthmatic rats and regulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to improve learning and memory abilities.

From October to December 2020, 40 male SPF-grade SD rats aged 3-4 weeks were selected as research subjects and randomly divided into control group (n=6), asthma model group (n=7), chiropractic therapy intervention group (n=7), and methylprednisolone group (n=7). An adolescent asthma rat model was established using ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization and challenge, and the asthma modeling process was intervened with chiropractic therapy and methylprednisolone intraperitoneal injection. Learning and memory abilities of the rats were assessed using the water maze test; Airway hyperresponsivenesse was evaluated by measuring enhanced pause (Penh) values via whole-body plethysmography; Pathological changes in lung tissue were observed with HE staining; Levels of plasma IgE and interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); Immunohistochemistry was used to detect BDNF expression in the hippocampal tissue.

The asthma model group rats had higher Penh values, airway inflammation scores, IgE, IL-4, TNF-α levels, lower hippocampal BDNF expression and a longer escape latency on day 4 than the control group (P<0.05); The chiropractic therapy intervention group and the methylprednisolone group rats had lower Penh values, airway inflammation scores, IL-4, and TNF-α levels compared to the asthma model group (P<0.05); On day 1 and 4, escape latency was shorter in the chiropractic therapy intervention group than in the asthma model and methylprednisolone groups (P<0.05).

Chiropractic spinal therapy can improve learning and memory abilities in asthmatic rats by reducing inflammatory responses and increasing the expression of BDNF in the hippocampus, showing potential application value in the treatment of asthma and the recovery of cognitive functions.