Observations on the Cumulative Biological Effect of Acupoint Laser Radiation and Its Analgesic Effect in Adjuvant Arthritis Rats
10.13460/j.issn.1005-0957.2014.10.0955
- VernacularTitle:激光穴位照射佐剂性关节炎大鼠的生物效应累积及其镇痛疗效观察
- Author:
Lijia MA
;
Huayuan YANG
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Acupoint laser radiation;
Biological effect;
Acupuncture;
Inflammatory pain;
Arthritis,adjuvant;
Rats
- From:
Shanghai Journal of Acupuncture and Moxibustion
2014;(10):955-960
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To explore the mechanism of the cumulative biological effect of acupoint laser radiation and investigate its analgesic effect by comparing the therapeutic effects of semiconductor laser radiation versus acupuncture at point Zusanli(ST36) in acute adjuvant arthritis rats and to provide the experiment-based theoretical foundation and basis for the course of treatment of acute arthritis pain by clinical use of semiconductor laser. Method A rat model of AA was made by subcutaneous injection of complete Freund's adjuvant into rat toe. Eighty rats were randomly allocated to eight groups:model, blank, three-day laser radiation, five-day laser radiation, seven-day laser radiation, three-day acupuncture, five-day acupuncture and seven-day acupuncture treatment groups, 10 rats each. The three laser groups separately received 650 nm semiconductor laser radiation. The three acupuncture groups separately received acupuncture with a filiform needle at point Zusanli(ST36) on the inflammation-affected side. Rat general condition, body weight, pain threshold value and ankle swelling degree were observed. Serum inflammatory factors IL-1、TNF-αand IFN-γcontents were measured by ELISA. Result There were statistically significant posttreatment differences in body weight, joint swelling degree and pain threshold between the laser treatment and acupuncture treatment groups of rats (P<0.05). There was a statistically significant post-treatment difference in joint swelling degree between three-day laser, five-day laser and seven-day laser treatment groups (P<0.05). Pain threshold was lowest at five days after treatment and increased somewhat at seven days after treatment in both the three-day laser and three-day acupuncture treatment groups. The IL-1 content tended to decrease on the whole and had a decreasing tendency at three and five days after treatment in both laser and acupuncture treatment groups. At seven days after treatment, it reached the lowest value in the laser treatment group but had a marked increasing tendency in the acupuncture treatment group. The IFN-γcontent had an increasing tendency at three and five days after treatment in both laser and acupuncture treatment groups. The IFN-γcontent tended to change gently in the laser treatment group from day five to seven after treatment. It tended to decrease from day five to seven after acupuncture treatment but was still higher than in the three-day acupuncture treatment group. The TNF-αcontent tended to decrease from day three to five after treatment in both laser and acupuncture treatment groups. From day five to seven after treatment, it tended to decrease gently in the laser treatment group but tended to increase slightly in the acupuncture treatment group. Conclusion Both semiconductor laser radiation and acupuncture at point Zusanli have an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect and can relieve the general symptoms in AA rats, but semiconductor laser radiation is significantly superior to acupuncture treatment in eliminating inflammation and easing pain and produces a more timely and better therapeutic effect. After semiconductor laser radiation at acupoints, the related serum cytokines tended to increase or decrease slowly in AA rats after the turning point appeared during the treatment, which embodies the parabola feature of laser radiation treatment. It is showed that with an increase in laser radiation length, the biological effect of laser accumulates, suggesting that attention should be paid to the cumulative effect during laser treatment.
