title: [Effect of fire-needle intervention on serum IL-1 and TNF-alpha levels of rheumatoid arthritis rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effect of fire-needle intervention on serum IL-1 and TNF-alpha contents in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) rats so as to study its underlying mechanism in improving RA.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 40 Wistar rats were randomized into normal control, model, methotrexate (MTX, medication) group and fire-needle groups, with 10 cases in each group. RA model was established by injecting Freund's complete adjuvant (0.1 mL) into the rats' right hind paw. Fire-needle was applied to "Jiaji" (EX-B 2),"Zusanli" (ST 36) and "Ashi point" (the most severe site of the swelling joint), once every three days and 8 times altogether. The rat's right hindpaw swelling volume was detected by volumetric method, and serum IL-1 and TNF-alpha contents were determined by double antibody sandwich ELISA. The pathological changes of synovium tissue of the right knee-joint were observed by optical microscope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In comparison with the control group, the swollen paw volumes at time-points of 12 d, 19 d, 26 d and 33 d after modeling and serum IL-1 and TNF-alpha contents were increased significantly (P < 0.01). Compared to the model group, the swollen paw volumes on day 33 in both medication and fire-needle groups were decreased considerably (P < 0.01), while serum IL-1 and TNF-alpha contents in the medication and fire-needle groups were reduced significantly (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). No significant differences were found between the medication and fire-needle groups in the swollen paw volumes on day 12 (P > 0.05). The pathological states (synovial cells' arrangement, inflammatory infiltration, synovial membrane thickening, etc.) of synovium tissue of the right knee-joint in both medication and fire-needle groups were relatively lighter than those of the model group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fire-needle therapy can down-regulate serum IL-1 and TNF-alpha contents in rheumatoid arthritis rats, and reduce the degree of arthroncus of the affected joint, which may contribute to its effect in improving synovial lesions.
authors: Shanxi College of Chinese Medicine, Taiyuan 030024, China. hanrunxia@163.com
authors: Run-Xia
authors: RX
authors: Han
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Yang
authors: Tian-Sheng
authors: TS
authors: Zhang
authors: Wei-Dong
authors: WD
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000818:Animals; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha