[Intervention effect of Tuina pressing and kneading the Huantiao (GB30) acupoint on NF-κB p65 protein at spinal cord dorsal horn in sciatica rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the analgesic effect of Tuina by pressing and kneading the Huantiao (GB30) acupoint on rats with chronic constriction injury (CCI) and to explore the analgesic mechanism of Tuina on sciatica rats. METHODS: Thirty-two SPF male SD rats weighing 180 to 220 g were randomly divided into fore groups:blank group (without any treatment), sham group (only exposed without sciatic nerve ligating), model group (sciatic nerve ligating) and Tuina group (manual intervention after lsciatic nerve ligating). The CCI model was prepared by ligating the right sciatic nerve of the rats, on the third day of modeling, the rats in the Tuina group were given pressing and kneading the Huantiao (GB30) point for 14 days, and the changes of paw withdrawal threshold(PWT), paw withdrawal latency(PWL) were measured before and on the 1st, 3rd, 7th, 10th, 14th and 17th days after modeling. The changes of sciatic functional index(SFI) were measured before and on the 1st and 17th day after modeling. The morphological changes of the sciatic nerve were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining;and the differences in NF-κB protein expression in the right dorsal horn of the spinal cord of rats were detected. RESULTS: Following modeling, there was no significant difference in PWT, PWL and SFI between the blank group and the sham group (P>0.05), but the PWT, PWL and SFI of the model group and the Tuina group decreased significantly (P<0.01). After manual intervention, the pain threshold of rats in Tuina group increased. On the 8th day of manual intervention (the 10th day after modeling), PWT in Tuina group increased significantly compared with that in model group (P<0.01). On the 5th day of manual intervention (the 7th day after modeling), the PWL of the massage group was significantly higher than that of the model group (P<0.01). The pain threshold of rats in Tuina group continued to rise with the continuous manipulation intervention. After 14 days of manipulative intervention, the sciatic nerve function index of rats in the Tuina group increased significantly(P<0.01). Compared with the blank group and sham group, the myelinated nerve fibers of sciatic nerve in the model group were disordered and the density of axons and myelin sheath was uneven. Compared with the model group, the nerve fibers of rats in the Tuina group were gradually continuous and the axons and myelin sheath were more uniform than those in the model group. Compared with the blank group and sham group, the expression of NF-κB protein in the right spinal dorsal horn of the model group was significantly increased(P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the expression of NF-κB protein in the right spinal dorsal horn of rats in Tuina group decreased significantly(P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Pressing and kneading the Huantiao (GB30) point restores nerve fiber alignment;and improves the PWT、PWL and SFI in the CCI model by decreasing NF-κB p65 protein expression in the spinal dorsal horn. There fore, Tuina demmstrates an analgesic effect and improves the gait of rats with sciatica.

[Effects of manual loading on calcitonin gene-related peptide and nerve growth factor in rats with chronic low back pain].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the analgesic effect of manipulation loading on chronic low back pain (CLBP) model rats and the expression of inflammatory factors in psoas major muscle tissue, and to explore the improvement of manipulation on local inflammatory microenvironment. METHODS: Thirty two SPF male SD rats weighing 340-360g were randomly divided into blank group, sham operation group, chronic low back pain model group and treatment group, with 8 rats in each group. In the model group, L4-L6 lumbar vertebrae were implanted with external link fixation system (ELFS). After implantation of ELFS, the treatment group received manualintervention with 5N force and 2Hz frequency on both sides of the spine, 15 min / time, once a day, for 14 consecutive days. Paw with drawl threshold (PWT) and paw withdrawl latency (PWL) was measured before modeling and on the 1st, 3rd, 7th, 10th and 14th day after intervention. At the end of the treatment cycle, the concentrations of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and nerve growth factor (NGF) in psoas muscle were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: There was no significant difference in PWT and PWL between the blank group and the sham operation group after modeling (P>0.05);after modeling, PWT and PWL in the CLBP model group and the treatment group were significantly decreased(P<0.01);PWT in the treatment group was not significantly improved than that in the CLBP model group on the 1st and 3rd day after manual loading(P>0.05);on the 7th day after manual loading, the pain threshold value in the treatment group was higher than that in the CLBP model group, but there was no significant difference There was no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.056>0.05). On the 10th and 14th day of treatment, the mechanical pain threshold of the treatment group began to rise, and it was statistically significant compared with CLBP model rats (P<0.05, P< 0.01);on the 1st and 3rd day after manual treatment, the PWL of the treatment group was not significantly improved compared with CLBP model group (P>0.05);on the 7th day, the PWL of the treatment group was significantly higher than that of CLBP model group, there was statistical significance (P=0.016<0.05). Manual loading improved thermal hyperalgesia in CLBP rats until the end of the experiment. The contents of CGRP and NGF in psoas major muscle of CLBP model group were higher than those of blank group and sham operation group (P<0.01). After treatment, the contents of CGRP and NGF decreased significantly(P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Local massage loading has analgesic effect on CLBP rats, at the same time, it can inhibit the content of CGRP and NGF in psoas muscle tissue of CLBP rats, and improve the local inflammatory microenvironment.