Chinese herbal compound combined with electrical pulse for cervical spondylosis in a rat model: microcirculation improvement and the underlying mechanism / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Wulong Dan, a clinical prescription designed by Professor Zang Kun-tang, has been used to treat ischemic encephalopathies including cerebral infarction, transient ischemic attack, convalescent stage of cerebral hemorrhage and cervical spondylosis, showing overt curative efficacy and safety.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effect of Chinese herbal compound combined with electrical pulse on hemorrheology and the underlying mechanism.METHODS: Twenty-four male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into normal, treatment and model groups (n=8 per group). The models of cervical spondylosis induced by unbalanced dynamic and static forces were established in the rats in the latter two groups. At 3 days after modeling, the rats in the treatment group received Chinese herbal compound combined with electrical pulse a damp-dry cotton cloth after immersed in Chinese herbal was put on the rat neck which was then covered with two electrode plates and fixed for electrical pulse therapy, 20 minutes daily, 20 days a course. The model group was given no treatment. The whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity were detected using blood viscosity tester; the maximum erythrocyte deformation index was detected by erythrocyte detector; the hematocrit was detected using high speed centrifugation.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the normal group, the whole blood viscosity at shear rates of 1, 5, 30 and 150 s-1 was significantly increased in the model group, and the whole blood viscosity in the model group was significantly higher than that in the treatment group (P < 0.01-0.05). Compared with the normal and treatment groups,the plasma viscosity was significantly increased in the model group (P < 0.01). There was significantly elevated erythrocyte aggregation in the model and treatment groups compared with the normal group (P < 0.01), but there was no significant difference in the erythrocyte aggregation between model and treatment groups. The hematocrit in the treatment group was significantly improved compared with the model group, but it was still significantly higher than that in the normal group. The order of platelet aggregation rate was as follows the model group > treatment group > normal group (P < 0.01). These results suggest that Chinese herbal compound combined with electrical pulse can significantly improve microcirculation by aggregating red blood cells and depolymerizing palates in a rat model of cervical spondylosis.