2022, Vol. 26 ›› Issue (26): 4141-4146

Effect of acupuncture and moxibustion at Zusanli on gastrointestinal motility in adjuvant arthritis rats

Li Jia1, Li Baicun2, Cai Guowei2, Li Jing2     

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Insufficient gastrointestinal motility in patients with rheumatoid arthritis has been gradually concerned. As a treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, whether acupuncture can improve insufficient gastrointestinal motility is worthy of further exploration.
OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of acupuncture and moxibustion treatment at Zusanli (ST 36) on gastrointestinal motility in a rat model of adjuvant arthritis.
METHODS: A total of 60 clean and healthy 3-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: normal group, model group, acupuncture group, moxibustion group, and acupuncture plus moxibustion group, with 12 rats in each group. Adjuvant arthritis models were established in the latter four groups using Freund’s complete adjuvant. The acupuncture group, moxibustion group, and acupuncture plus moxibustion group were treated with acupuncture, moxibustion or both at Zusanli on the 1st day of modeling, for 15 minutes per day, for 14 continuous days. At the end of the corresponding treatment, all rats were measured for plantar circumference. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the pathological changes of the knee joint. The number of peristaltic waves in the rat intestine was measured by the method of colonic peristaltic wave. The first black stool discharge time was observed after gavage with activated carbon suspension, to calculate the gastric emptying rate and intestinal propulsion rate. The contraction degree of jejunum smooth muscle strips of rats was detected by an in vitro perfusion device, and the distribution of jejunal nerve fibers were observed by immunofluorescence staining.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: After acupuncture and moxibustion at Zusanli, sacroiliac joint swelling in rats was significantly reduced, cartilage destruction and inflammatory cells decreased, the number of intestinal peristaltic waves was increased, the total gastrointestinal activated carbon discharge time was shortened, gastric emptying rate and intestinal propulsion rate were improved, the contraction of the jejunal smooth muscle strip increased, and the amount of jejunal nerve fibers decreased. The combination of acupuncture and moxibustion achieved the best results. To conclude, acupuncture and moxibustion at Zusanli can prevent and treat bowel dysfunction in adjuvant arthritis rats, and acupuncture combined with moxibustion method is better than acupuncture or moxibustion used alone.
Key words: acupuncture and moxibustion, Zusanli, acupuncture, moxibustion, adjuvant arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, intestinal motility