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Anti-inflammatory effect of Zanthoxylum bungeanum-cake-separated moxibustion on rheumatoid arthritis rats


Xulu Lei
Shirui Cheng
Honglian Peng
Qin He
Hongyu Zhu
Mengqian Xu
Qinqin Wang
Li Liu
Chengshun Zhang
Qizhi Zhou
Fang Zeng
Jian Ying
Haiyan Yin
Shuguang Yu

Abstract

Background: Zanthoxylum bungeanum-cake-separated moxibustion (ZBCS-moxi), a kind of traditional therapy of moxibustion, has been used in China since 340 B.C. However, its mechanism remains unclear. So, this study was attempted to reveal the anti-inflammatory effect of ZBCS-moxi on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) rats.
Methods and Materials: Forty health SD female rats were randomly divided into 4 groups  (n=10/group): control group, model group, Zanthoxylum bungeanum-cake-separated moxibustion group (ZBCS-moxi group) and Aconitum carmichaeli-cake-separated moxibustion group (ACCS-moxi group). RA model was induced by injecting 0.1 ml Freund’s complete adjuvant (FCA) into the right hind paw of rats. Eleven days after CFA injection, the rats in ZBCS-moxi group received Zanthoxylum bungeanum- cake-separated moxibustion on Shenshu (BL23), Zusanli (ST36) acupoints and the dorsum right hind paw respectively for 3 weeks. The ACCS-moxi group was used as a positive control, while the rats were treated with Aconitum carmichaeli-cake-separated moxibustion on the same acupoints and courses. After a 3-week treatment, we investigated anti-inflammatory effect by measuring the paw volume,  observing the pathologic morphology of synovial membranes and detecting the concentration of IL-1β and TNF-α in serum.
Results: Compared to model group, the swollen paw volumes, the synovial hyperplasia and pannus formation of synovial membranes and the concentration of IL-1β and TNF-α in serum decreased obviously (P<0.01, P<0.05) in ZBCS-moxi group, as well as in ACCS-moxi group. However, the swollen paw volumes, the synovial hyperplasia and pannus formation of synovial membranes and the concentration of IL-1β and TNF-α in serum in ZBCS-moxi and ACCS-moxi group did not show significant differences (P>0.05)

Conclusions: ZBCS-moxi displays anti-inflammatory effect on RA rats via suppressing the expression of cytokines and has similar effect to ACCS-moxi.


Key words: Anti-inflammatory effect; Zanthoxylum bungeanum-cake-separated moxibustion; Aconitum carmichaeli-cake-separated moxibustion; Rheumatoid Arthritis.


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eISSN: 0189-6016