Objective The analgesic effect of manual acupuncture on acute adjuvant arthritis(AA)rats was evaluated using flurbiprofen cataplasm as a positive control,and the role of mast cells in the mechanism of analgesia was explored.Methods 24 SD rats were randomly divided into model group,10-minute manual acupuncture group,and 30-minute flurbiprofen cataplasm treatment group.AA rat models were established,and treatments were applied at the Zusanli acupoint,while the model group received no treatment.The rats'pain thresholds under mechanical and thermal stimuli were measured before and after the therapy.Acupoint tissue sections were collected and stained,and the mast cell degranulation rate at the acupoint tissue was calculated for each experimental group.Results Mechanical and thermal pain thresholds were significantly increased in 10-minute manual acupuncture group compared to those before therapy(P＜0.000 1),while there was no significant difference in mechanical and thermal pain pain threshold recovery rates between 10-minute manual acupuncture group and 30-minute flurbiprofen cataplasm treatment group(P＞0.05).The mast cell degranulation rate in 10-minute manual acupuncture group and the 30-minute flurbiprofen cataplasm treatment group was significantly higher than that of the model group(P＜0.001).Conclusions Short-term application of manual acupuncture provides immediate analgesia in AA rats,comparable to flurbiprofen cataplasm treatment.The analgesic effects of manual acupuncture and flurbiprofen cataplasm treatment may be closely related to the degranulation of mast cells in the Zusanli acupoint tissue.This study provides an optimized clinical protocol for treating inflammatory joint diseases while laying the groundwork for future research on treatment mechanisms,long-term outcomes,and combination therapy applicability in varied patient groups.

Objective The analgesic effect of manual acupuncture on acute adjuvant arthritis(AA)rats was evaluated using flurbiprofen cataplasm as a positive control,and the role of mast cells in the mechanism of analgesia was explored.Methods 24 SD rats were randomly divided into model group,10-minute manual acupuncture group,and 30-minute flurbiprofen cataplasm treatment group.AA rat models were established,and treatments were applied at the Zusanli acupoint,while the model group received no treatment.The rats'pain thresholds under mechanical and thermal stimuli were measured before and after the therapy.Acupoint tissue sections were collected and stained,and the mast cell degranulation rate at the acupoint tissue was calculated for each experimental group.Results Mechanical and thermal pain thresholds were significantly increased in 10-minute manual acupuncture group compared to those before therapy(P＜0.000 1),while there was no significant difference in mechanical and thermal pain pain threshold recovery rates between 10-minute manual acupuncture group and 30-minute flurbiprofen cataplasm treatment group(P＞0.05).The mast cell degranulation rate in 10-minute manual acupuncture group and the 30-minute flurbiprofen cataplasm treatment group was significantly higher than that of the model group(P＜0.001).Conclusions Short-term application of manual acupuncture provides immediate analgesia in AA rats,comparable to flurbiprofen cataplasm treatment.The analgesic effects of manual acupuncture and flurbiprofen cataplasm treatment may be closely related to the degranulation of mast cells in the Zusanli acupoint tissue.This study provides an optimized clinical protocol for treating inflammatory joint diseases while laying the groundwork for future research on treatment mechanisms,long-term outcomes,and combination therapy applicability in varied patient groups.