Herb-partition moxibustion relieves chronic visceral hyperalgesia and 5-HT concentration in colon mucosa of rats.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of herb-partition moxibustion on rectal sensory thresholds and to analyse possible mechanism of herb-partition moxibustion in treating chronic visceral hypersensitivity rats.


METHODS
Herb-partition moxibustion was administered to chronic visceral hypersensitivity rats for 7 days (once daily). Two moxa cylinders were used for each point in one treatment. Chronic visceral hypersensitivity rats without herb-partition moxibustion and normal rats were chosen as the control groups. Detection of abdominal withdrawal reflex was performed during 30-90 minutes after the first treatment. After seven treatments, a segment of distal colon (5 cm in length) was harvested, and 5-hydroxytryptamine concentration in the colon tissue was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
Herb-partition moxibustion significantly depressed abnormally increased AWR scores from the rectus abdominis in response to colorectal distention stimulation at strengths of 40 and 60 mmHg. Herb-partition moxibustion decreased 5-hydroxytryptamine concentration in colon tissue of chronic visceral hypersensitivity rats.


CONCLUSIONS
Herb-partition moxibustion enhances the pain threshold of chronic visceral hypersensitivity rats and restores normal sensitivity by 5-hydroxytryptamine concentration decreased in the colon tissue. However, whether herb-partition moxibustion could enhance the pain threshold of IBS patients or not is not concluded in this study because of only small sample rats experiment.
Zhou
En-Hua
EH
Shanghai Institute of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Meridians, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 650 South WanPing Road, XuHui District, Shanghai 200030, China.
Liu
Hui-Rong
HR
Wu
Huan-Gan
HG
Shi
Yin
Y
Wang
Xiao-Mei
XM
Yao
Li-Qing
LQ
Zhong
Yun-Shi
YS
Yang
Yun
Y
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D003106:Colon / Q000294:innervation / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000628:therapy*; D009071:Moxibustion / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology*; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats; D012020:Reflex, Abdominal / Q000502:physiology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D017833:Visceral Afferents / Q000503:physiopathology
D012701:Serotonin