Tuina manipulation has long been used in the treatment of lumbar intervertebral disc herniation, although its therapeutic mechanisms remain uncertain. The specific characteristic syndrome of this disease is lumbocrural pain in varying degrees, which is due to mechanical compression, aseptic inflammation, blood circulation disturbance and dystrophy. These factors can act on the involved nerve roots and give rise to nerve conduction disturbance. Since the blood circulation disturbance and nerve roots dystrophy are the most important pathogenic aspects of this disease, the therapeutic effect of Tuina manipulation on lumbar intervertebral disc herniation is related to them directly or indirectly.

Objective To compare the effect of ibuprofen and glucosamine on synoviocyte proliferation and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) expression in human knee osteoarthritis. Methods Human synoviocytes were isolated from synovium (earlier stage and late stage of OA) by tissue culture and were cocultured with ibuprofen and glucosamine. The concentration of COMP was determined by MTS/PMS method and hCOMP kit. Two-tailed t-test was used for statistical analysis. Results The observation time of tissue culture was determined at 5～7 day by the MTS/PMS method. The A values of glucosamine [ late stage group (0.054±0.021), early stage group (0.777±0.034)] were less than the normal serum control group (P＜0.05).Both ibuprofen [late stage group (35.4±1.9), early stage group (46.0±2.2)] and glucosamine [late stagegroup (36.6±1.3), early stage group (48.8±1.3) ] could decrease the concentration of COMP in synoviocyte secretion in vitro (P＜0.05). Conclusion Glucosamine can inhibit the synoviocyte proliferation of human knee osteoarthritis (both early stage and late stage) in vitro. Both ibuprofen and glucosamine can inhibit the COMP secretion of synoviocyte in vitro.

Objective To compare the effect of glucosamine (Virtral-s) on the cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) secretion of chondrocytes and synoviocytes in vitro.Methods Chondrocytes and synoviocytes isolated from knee cartilage of osteoarthritic patients were cultured by phased enzymatic digestion.Sera containing Virtral-s of the experimental animals were obtained after orally administrated Virtral-s at the dosages that equal to human.Cells were cultured in the medium with Virtral-s containing sera.Super-natant COMP level was tested by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assays (ELISA).Results COMP conceu-tration of synoviocytes cultured in vitro was significantly higher than that of chondrocytes (P＜0.05).Virtral-s could significantly increase COMP secretion in cultured chondrocytes in vitro (P＜0.05),however,it had a weaker role on synoviocytes,ie,it could only mildly reduce COMP secretion of synoviocytes.Conclusion Glucosamine (Virtral-s)-containing serum can promote COMP secretion of chondrocytes in vitro,and it has no significant effect on synoviocytes in vitro.