[Efficacy and safety evaluation of fire needling for rats with rheumatoid arthritis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the therapeutic effect and safety of fire needling on rat with rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS: Forty female Wistar rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, a methotrexate (MTX) group and a fire needling group, 10 rats in each group. The 0.1 mL of normal saline was subcutaneously injected in rat's right back paw in the normal group, while the other groups received subcutaneous injection of 0.1 mL of complete Freund's adjuvant to establish the model. The pricking method was applied in the fire needling group at "Jiaji" (EX-B 2), "Zusanli" (ST 36) and Ashi points with a depth of 5 mm, once every three days, and totally eight times were required. In the MTX group, with intragastric administration of 2.0 mg/kg per rat, the treatment was given once every seven days, and totally four times were required. The weight, swelling rate of foot, joint pain score and polyarthritis index of rats in each group as well as the pathological change of liver tissue under light microscope were observed. RESULTS: The weight, swelling rate of foot, joint pain score and polyarthritis index in the model group were significantly higher than those in the normal group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), after the treatment, the above-mentioned indexes in the two treatment groups were obviouly dereased as componed with those in the model group (all P < 0.01), and there were statistical differences between the fire needling group and MTX group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the normal group, inflammatory cells were appeared with a cluster distribution in the liver cells of rats in the model group. The inflammatory cells were reduced in the MTX group and fire needling group, and liver cells had degenerative edema and cell nucleus were largen and deformed in the MTX group. CONCLUSION: The fire needling has significant efficacy for rats with adjuvant arthritis (AA) without any damage to the liver, which coud have a better control of disease progression of rheumatoid arthritis .

[Effect of fire-needle intervention on serum IL-1 and TNF-alpha levels of rheumatoid arthritis rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of fire-needle intervention on serum IL-1 and TNF-alpha contents in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) rats so as to study its underlying mechanism in improving RA. METHODS: A total of 40 Wistar rats were randomized into normal control, model, methotrexate (MTX, medication) group and fire-needle groups, with 10 cases in each group. RA model was established by injecting Freund's complete adjuvant (0.1 mL) into the rats' right hind paw. Fire-needle was applied to "Jiaji" (EX-B 2),"Zusanli" (ST 36) and "Ashi point" (the most severe site of the swelling joint), once every three days and 8 times altogether. The rat's right hindpaw swelling volume was detected by volumetric method, and serum IL-1 and TNF-alpha contents were determined by double antibody sandwich ELISA. The pathological changes of synovium tissue of the right knee-joint were observed by optical microscope. RESULTS: In comparison with the control group, the swollen paw volumes at time-points of 12 d, 19 d, 26 d and 33 d after modeling and serum IL-1 and TNF-alpha contents were increased significantly (P < 0.01). Compared to the model group, the swollen paw volumes on day 33 in both medication and fire-needle groups were decreased considerably (P < 0.01), while serum IL-1 and TNF-alpha contents in the medication and fire-needle groups were reduced significantly (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). No significant differences were found between the medication and fire-needle groups in the swollen paw volumes on day 12 (P > 0.05). The pathological states (synovial cells' arrangement, inflammatory infiltration, synovial membrane thickening, etc.) of synovium tissue of the right knee-joint in both medication and fire-needle groups were relatively lighter than those of the model group. CONCLUSION: Fire-needle therapy can down-regulate serum IL-1 and TNF-alpha contents in rheumatoid arthritis rats, and reduce the degree of arthroncus of the affected joint, which may contribute to its effect in improving synovial lesions.