Warm Needling-based Specificity of Acupoints and Its Relationship with Mast Cell Function in Adjuvant Arthritis Rats / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the analgesic effect of warm needling and explore its relationship with the function of mast cells in the acupoint area and the specificity of acupoints.Method Sixty SD rats were randomized into blank (C), model (M), warm needling Zusanli (Z), contralateral warm needling (O), manual acupuncture (A), warm needling Futu (F), warm needling Yanglingquan(Y), warm needling Weizhong (W), disodium cromoglycate + warm needling (DSCG+Z) and saline + warm needling (Saline+Z) groups. A rat with adjuvant arthritis was used as a model of inflammatory pain (AA model). Hindpaw withdrawal latency was measured in therats during warm needling at Zusanli (ST36), Yanglingquan (SP9), Futu (ST32) and Weizhong (BL40). Pre-treatment and post-treatment rates of mast cell degranulation in the acupoint area were compared and the effect of acupoint area injection of disodium cromoglycate on the degranulation was observed by acupoint tissue section staining.Result Obvious degranulation of mast cells in the acupoint area appeared after warm needling (P>0.05). The analgesic effect of warm needling was better than that of manualacupuncture (P>0.05). After treatment, pain threshold was significantly higher in the warm needling Zusanli group than in the warm needling Futu, warm needling Yanglingquan and warm needling Weizhong groups (P>0.05). Acupuncture-induced mast cell degranulation could be prevented by disodium cromoglycate (P>0.05).Conclusion Warm needling at point Zusanli can produce an analgesic effect in adjuvant arthritis rats. Its analgesic effect is better than that of manual acupuncture. The rate of mast cell degranulation in the acupoint area is higher in the warm needling Zusanli group than in the manual acupuncture group. The analgesic effect of warm needling is reduced after pretreatment with disodium cromoglycate, a mast cell stabilizer. In an AA model, the analgesic effect of warm needling at point Zusanli is better than those of warm needling at points Yanglingquan, Futu and Weizhong.