RÉSUMÉ
BACKGROUND: Clinical observation has been proved that acupuncture has effect on antiinflammation and immunoloregulation, which is the basis for preventing and curing immune disturbance and active chronic inflammation. OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electropumcture on antiinflammation, analgesia and subgroup of T cells of adjuvant-arthrosis rats at Jiaji acupoint.DESIGN: Completely randomized grouping and controlled study.SETTING: Basic Laboratory of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. MATERIALS: A total of 30 Wistar rats were selected in this study. Five days after feeding, all rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: normal control group, model group and electropumcture group with 10 in each group. METHODS: ① The experiment was completed at Basic Laboratory of Acupuncture and Moxibustion of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January to May 2005. Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA) was used to establish adjuvant-arthrosis models in model group and electropumcture group. On the modeling day, the 3rd and the 5th Jiaji acupoints of bilateral lumbar vertebrae of rats in electropumcture group were acupunctured with 28-sized stainless-steel milli-needle of 0.5 inch.The needle was stimulated 0.3 cm from the 3rd and the 5th spinous process of lumbar vertebra which was counected to G6805-2A multiple functional electropumcture meter for sparse-tight waves (frequency of sparse wave: 4 Hz, frequency of tight wave: 60 Hz, intensity: t mA) 30 minutes each time,once a day for 7 days. Rats in normal group and model group were fixed with the same way for 7 days. (Rats were fixed with cloth-rope at fixing apparatus.) ② Pain threshold was measured before modelling, 1 and 7 days after modelling. Foot pad was exposured with strong light by hot-pain stimulation meter, and paw withdrawal latency was regarded as pain threshold. ③ Right hindfoot bulk of rats was assayed with foot bulk determinator (bulk draining method) before modelling, 1 and 7 days after modelling to calculate swelling rate (％) [(foot bulk after modelling-foot bulk before modelling)/ foot bulk before modelling × 100％ ]. ④ Expressional rates of serum CD4+ and CD8+ were assayed with FACSCalibur flow cytometer and the ratio between CD4+ and CD8+ was calculated 8 days after modelling. ⑤ Average value of multiple samples were compared with single-factor analysis of variance and t test.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Effect of electropumcture at Jiaji acupoint on pain threshold, swelling rate and subgroup of serum T cells of adjuvant-arthrosis rats.RESULTS: A total of 30 rats were involved in the final analysis. ① One day after modeling, bulk of right hindfoot in model group and electropumcture group was bigger than that in normal control group and that before modeling (P ＜ 0.01), and swelling rate was higher than that in normal control group (P ＜ 0.01); 7 days after modeling, bulk and swelling of right hindfoot in model group were higher than those in normal control group (P ＜ 0.01), and bulk was bigger than that before modeling (P ＜ 0.01);bulk and swelling of right hindfoot in electropumcture group were lower than those in model group (P ＜ 0.05). ② Pain threshold of both rear feet of normal rats were not changed after modelling. One day after modelling,pain threshold at inflammatory side was decreased in model group and electropumcture group (P ＜ 0.01) and it was lower than that in normal control group (P ＜ 0.01); 7 days after modeling, pain threshold at inflammatory side was still lower than that before inflammation (P ＜ 0.05),and it in electropumcture group was higher than that in model group (P＜ 0.05). ③ Percentages of CD4+ T lymphocyte and CD8+ T lymphocyte in model group were lower than those in normal control group (P ＜ 0.01), and ratio of CD4+/CD8+ was also higher than that in normal control group (P＜ 0.05). Percentage of CD4+ in electropumcture group was higher than that in model group, but there was no significant difference. Percentage of CD8+ in electropumcture group was higher than that in model group (P ＜ 0.01),but ratio of CD4+/CD8+ was lower than that in model group (P ＜ 0.05).CONCLUSION: Electropumcture at Jiaji acupoint has obvious effect on anti-inflammation and analgesia, and can also regulate cellular immunity of adjuvant-arthrosis rats.