Effects of Moxibustion at Complementary Acupoints on Synovial Tissue Inflammation of CIA Rats

[Objectives] This study aimed to explore the effects of moxibustion at the Yanglingquan and Yinlingquan points on thickness of the left foot and synovial tissue inflammation of collagen-induced arthritis( CIA) rats,and to explore the therapeutic effect of moxibustion at complementary acupoints on rheumatoid arthritis( RA). [Methods] Total 32 Wistar rats were selected. Among them,8 rats were selected randomly using the randomized digital method as the blank control( K),and the remaining were subjected to modeling. After the successful establishment of the CIA model,the 24 rats were randomly and evenly divided into model group( M),Yanglingquan and Yinlingquan group( AB) and Shenshu and Zusanli group( CD). The rats in the moxibustion groups were subjected to bilateral synchronous moxibustion once every two days( 2 mg refined moxa/cone,5 cones/( point·d)),for total 10 times. The left plantar thickness of each rat was measured before modeling,after modeling,and after the last intervention,respectively. After the last intervention,the situation of synovial tissue inflammation in each rat of the treatment group was inspected. [Results] Compared with that of the control group,the left foot thickness of each group of rats that were modeled all increased significantly( P < 0. 05). And the synovial tissue showed different degrees of inflammatory infiltration,fibrous hyperplasia,and angiogenes. After the intervention ended,compared with that in the M group,the left foot thickness in the AB and CD treatment groups reduced significantly( P < 0. 05). The inflammatory infiltration,fibrous hyperplasia,and angiogenes of the synovial tissue decreased. Between the two moxibustion groups,the thickness of the left foot in group AB decreased compared with group CD( P < 0. 05). The inflammatory infiltration,fibrous hyperplasia and angiogenes in group AB decreased compared with those in group CD. [Conclusions] Moxibustion at the complementary acupoints of Yanglingquan and Yinlingquan,Shenshu and Zusanli both showed good improvement effect on CIA rats. In terms of left foot thickness and synovial tissue inflammation,the treatment group AB was superior to the group CD,and the specific mechanism needs further study.