Host: The Physiological Society of Japan
Tadashi Hisamitsu, Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan The effect and possible mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion on the collagen induced arthritis in rats Acupuncture and moxibusution is known to have beneficial effects on the human rheumatoid arthritis. To evaluate the effects and to explore possible mechanism of these treatments on the arthritic disease, the influence of electroacupuncture (EA) and moxibustion on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) animal was examined in vivo. DBA/1J mice were immunized intradermally twice at the 3-week interval with bovine type II collagen (CII). The main incidence of arthritis started about on day 30 and lasted to day 60 after the first immunization. EA stimulation or moxibustion, begun on day 21 simultaneously with the second immunization, was applied three times a week for 3 weeks at the acupoint equivalent to GV4 (governor vessel 4, Ming Men, Meimon). The results showed that EA and moxibustion delayed the onset, attenuated the severity of arthritis, and reduced the anti-collagen antibody level. Furthermore, EA stimulation significantly inhibited the concentrations of splenic endogenous interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and serum prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). The expression of IL-1β mRNA in spleen cells was obviously down-regulated and that in synovial tissues was modestly affected by EA. These data suggest that EA has an inhibitory effect on murine CIA, and the partial mechanism of its therapeutic result may be attributed to inhibiting the productions of IL-1β and PGE2. [J Physiol Sci. 2008;58 Suppl:S8]
