Li Yuan, Wu Fan, Wei Jianzi, Lao Lixing, Shen Xueyong
School of Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Tuina, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
School of Chinese Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
Photobiomodul Photomed Laser Surg. 2020 Jan;38(1):43-50. doi: 10.1089/photob.2019.4716. Epub 2019 Sep 24.
Although chronic pain affects the quality of life of patients with osteoarthritis, current medical treatments are either ineffective or have long-term side effects. Recently, low-intensity laser irradiation of corresponding acupoints was demonstrated to alleviate pain. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of 10.6 μm laser moxibustion on a monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced knee osteoarthritis pain model. Thirty-two rats were randomly assigned to four groups: Saline, MIA, MIA+Laser, and MIA+Sham Laser. The 10.6 μm laser was used to irradiate the ST35 for 10 min once a day for a total of seven applications. The paw withdrawal mechanical threshold and weight-bearing difference were performed to evaluate the analgesic effects of laser moxibustion. At the end of the experiment on days 28, the joint histology, the levels of metalloproteinases-13 (MMP-13) in the cartilage, and TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in the synovial membrane were measured to determine the chondroprotection and anti-inflammatory effect of laser moxibustion. Early laser moxibustion significantly reversed the MIA-induced mechanical hyperalgesia and weight-bearing difference, especially on the 28th day ( < 0.001). Moreover, laser moxibustion prevented the articular pathological lesions and cartilage destruction on days 28 ( < 0.01). Remarkably, the levels of cartilage MMP-13, and synovial TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 also decreased on day 28 ( < 0.05) after the early treatment of laser moxibustion. 10.6 μm laser moxibustion may have long-lasting analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and chondroprotection effects, suggesting that it may emerge as a potential therapeutic strategy for the chronic pain treatment of osteoarthritis.
尽管慢性疼痛会影响骨关节炎患者的生活质量，但目前的医学治疗要么无效，要么有长期副作用。最近，对相应穴位进行低强度激光照射被证明可缓解疼痛。本研究的目的是探讨10.6μm激光艾灸对碘乙酸钠（MIA）诱导的膝骨关节炎疼痛模型的影响。32只大鼠被随机分为四组：生理盐水组、MIA组、MIA+激光组和MIA+假激光组。使用10.6μm激光每天一次照射足三里穴10分钟，共照射7次。通过测量爪部缩足机械阈值和负重差异来评估激光艾灸的镇痛效果。在实验第28天结束时，测量关节组织学、软骨中金属蛋白酶-13（MMP-13）水平以及滑膜中肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）、白细胞介素-1β（IL-1β）和白细胞介素-6（IL-6）水平，以确定激光艾灸的软骨保护和抗炎作用。早期激光艾灸显著逆转了MIA诱导的机械性痛觉过敏和负重差异，尤其是在第28天（P<0.001）。此外，激光艾灸在第28天预防了关节病理损伤和软骨破坏（P<0.01）。值得注意的是，在早期激光艾灸治疗后第28天，软骨MMP-13水平以及滑膜TNF-α、IL-1β和IL-6水平也降低了（P<0.05）。10.6μm激光艾灸可能具有持久的镇痛、抗炎和软骨保护作用，表明它可能成为骨关节炎慢性疼痛治疗的一种潜在治疗策略。
