Effect of Heat Reinforcing Acupuncture Manipulation on Articular Synovium LDH, SDH and CCO in Rheumatoid Arthritis ;Rabbits / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the regulating effect of heat reinforcing acupuncture manipulation on body energy metabolism enzymes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and preliminarily explain the mechanism of heat-producing action of heat reinforcing acupuncture manipulation. Method Forty chinchilla rabbits were randomized into normal, model, equal reinforcement and reduction, twirling reinforcement, and heat reinforcing acupuncture manipulation groups. A model of cold syndrome-type RA was made by ovalbumin induction and exposure to low temperature in the other four groups not including the normal group. From two days after successful model making, the normal and model groups were grabbed and fastened (bound) by the same way as for the acupuncture groups, 30 min once daily. The equal reinforcement and reduction group received even reinforcing-reducing method;the twirling reinforcement group, twirling reinforcement method;the heat reinforcing group, heat reinforcing acupuncture manipulation. The needle was manipulated for 1 min and retained for 30 min once daily, for a total of seven days. The RA rabbit knee joint circumference was measured and the inflammation score was recorded according to synovial histopathological sections before and after treatment. After the completion of intervention, the rabbits were sacrificed and the articular synovium was rapidly separated for frozen sections. Articular synovium lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and cytochrome oxidase (CCO) activities were measured by histochemical staining. Result After acupuncture intervention, the RA rabbit knee joint circumference was shortened in all the equal reinforcement and reduction, twirling reinforcement, and heat reinforcing acupuncture manipulation groups, but the shortening effect on the RA rabbit knee joint circumference was better in the heat reinforcing acupuncture manipulation group than in the equal reinforcement and reduction and twirling reinforcement method groups (P<0.05);the inflammation score recorded according to the RA rabbit synovial histopathological sections was also decreased more in the heat reinforcing acupuncture manipulation group than in the equal reinforcement and reduction and twirling reinforcement method groups (P<0.05). Synovial LDH integral optical density, total positive area and area percentage were significantly higher in the model group than in the normal group (P<0.05), and significantly lower in the equal reinforcement and reduction, twirling reinforcement, and heat reinforcing acupuncture manipulation groups than in the model group(P<0.05) and also in the heat reinforcing acupuncture manipulation group than in the equal reinforcement and reduction and twirling reinforcement method groups (P<0.05). Rabbit synovial SDH and CCO activities were significantly higher in the model group than in the normal group (P<0.05). Rabbit synovial SDH and CCO integral optical density, total positive area and area percentage were significantly higher in the equal reinforcement and reduction, twirling reinforcement, and heat reinforcing acupuncture manipulation groups than in the model group (P<0.05) and also in the heat reinforcing acupuncture manipulation group than in the equal reinforcement and reduction and twirling reinforcement method groups (P<0.05). Conclusion Heat reinforcing acupuncture manipulation has a definite therapeutic effect on RA and can increase SDH and CCO activities to enhance aerobic metabolism and produce more local energy in a rabbit model of RA. That may be the mechanism by which heat reinforcing acupuncture manipulation produces heat.