Wu Xiao, Liu Xuguang, Jing Zhongkun, Chen Yang, Liu Huahui, Ma Wenbin
Chengdu University of TCM, Chengdu 610075, Sichuan Province, China; Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, TCM Hospital Affiliated to Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 640000, Sichuan Province.
Chengdu University of TCM, Chengdu 610075, Sichuan Province, China.
Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2018 Nov 12;38(11):1189-94. doi: 10.13703/j.0255-2930.2018.11.014.
To study the effects of moxibustion at different time points on serum level of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in rats with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to explore its regulation mechanism on circadian rhythm.
A total of 96 Sprague-Dawley (SD) adult rats were randomly assigned into a blank group, a model group, a moxibustion at 5-7 AM group and a moxibustion at 5-7 PM group, 24 rats in each group, half male and half female. Each group was further divided into a 0 AM group, a 6 AM group, a 12 N group and a 6 PM group, 6 rats in each group. All rats were treated with the 12 h/12 h light-dark cycle in the whole process of experiment. Except for the blank group, all rats were treated with intracutaneous injection of freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) at right foot pad to establish the RA model. The rats at the two moxibustion groups were treated with grain-sized moxibustion at "Shenshu" (BL 23) and "Zusanli" (ST 36) at 5-7 AM and 5-7 PM, respectively, one side per treatment, once a day; six treatments were taken as one course and 3 courses were given with an interval of one day between courses. The rats in the remaining groups were treated with identical fixation but without moxibustion intervention. The right foot volume was measured before model establishment, after model establishment and after treatment. The blood samples were collected after treatment and the serum level of TNF-α was measured by ELISA. The SPSS 21.0 software and Halberg Cosinor were adopted to analyze the experiment data.
After treatment, compared with the blank group, the foot swelling severity was significantly increased in the model group, moxibustion at 5-7 AM group and moxibustion at 5-7 PM group (all <0.01); compared with the model group, the foot swelling severity was significantly reduced in the moxibustion at 5-7 AM group and moxibustion at 5-7 PM group (both <0.01). Compared with the blank group, the serum level of TNF-α was increased significantly in the model group and moxibustion at 5-7 AM group (both <0.05); compared with the model group, the serum level of TNF-α was reduced significantly in the moxibustion at 5-7 AM group and moxibustion at 5-7 PM group (both <0.05). The serum level of TNF-α showed circadian rhythm in all the groups (all <0.05), and the peak appeared at night phase; compared with the blank group, the median value of TNF-α was increased significantly in the model group (<0.05), the peak phase was delayed and the amplitude was increased (<0.05); compared with the model group, the median value of TNF-α was significantly reduced in the moxibustion at 5-7 AM group and moxibustion at 5-7 PM group (<0.01), the peak phase was advanced and the amplitude was reduced (<0.05).
Moxibustion could effectively reduce the serum level of TNF-α to relieve the foot swelling severity in RA rats. Moxibustion could regulate the circadian rhythm of TNF-α to play its effects on the inhibition of the synthesis of TNF-α. No efficacy is observed between the treatment at 5-7 AM and 5-7 PM.
研究不同时间点艾灸对类风湿关节炎（RA）大鼠血清肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）水平的影响，探讨其对昼夜节律的调节机制。
将96只成年Sprague-Dawley（SD）大鼠随机分为空白组、模型组、上午5 - 7点艾灸组和下午5 - 7点艾灸组，每组24只，雌雄各半。每组再分为凌晨0点组、上午6点组、中午12点组和下午6点组，每组6只。实验全程所有大鼠均采用12 h/12 h明暗循环处理。除空白组外，其余大鼠右足垫皮内注射弗氏完全佐剂（FCA）建立RA模型。上午5 - 7点艾灸组和下午5 - 7点艾灸组大鼠分别于上午5 - 7点和下午5 - 7点在“肾俞”（BL 23）和“足三里”（ST 36）进行麦粒灸，每次灸一侧穴位，每天1次；6次治疗为1个疗程，共给予3个疗程，疗程间间隔1天。其余组大鼠进行相同固定但不进行艾灸干预。于造模前、造模后及治疗后测量大鼠右足体积。治疗后采集血样，采用酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）法检测血清TNF-α水平。采用SPSS 21.0软件和Halberg余弦分析法对实验数据进行分析。
治疗后，与空白组比较，模型组、上午5 - 7点艾灸组和下午5 - 7点艾灸组足肿胀程度均显著增加（均P<0.01）；与模型组比较，上午5 - 7点艾灸组和下午5 - 7点艾灸组足肿胀程度均显著降低（均P<0.01）。与空白组比较，模型组和上午5 - 7点艾灸组血清TNF-α水平均显著升高（均P<0.05）；与模型组比较，上午5 - 7点艾灸组和下午5 - 7点艾灸组血清TNF-α水平均显著降低（均P<0.05）。各组血清TNF-α水平均呈现昼夜节律（均P<0.05），且峰值出现在夜间；与空白组比较，模型组TNF-α中位数显著升高（P<0.05），峰值相位延迟且振幅增大（P<0.05）；与模型组比较，上午5 - 7点艾灸组和下午5 - 7点艾灸组TNF-α中位数均显著降低（P<0.01），峰值相位提前且振幅减小（P<0.05）。
艾灸可有效降低RA大鼠血清TNF-α水平，减轻足肿胀程度。艾灸可调节TNF-α的昼夜节律，发挥抑制TNF-α合成的作用。上午5 - 7点与下午5 - 7点治疗效果无差异。
