title: [Effect of the optimized traditional acupuncture prescription for accouchement on cervical ripening in late-stage pregnant rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the mechanism of the optimized traditional acupuncture prescription for accouchement on cervical ripening based on the molecular biology by observing related indices of cervical ripening in late-stage pregnant rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty initial pregnant Wistar rats were randomly divided into an electroacupuncture (EA) group (n = 10) and a model group (n = 10), and other 10 non-pregnancy female rats with same lot were selected as a blank control group. EA group was treated with the optimized traditional acupuncture prescription for accouchement on the 20th day of pregnant, which performed EA at bilateral "Hegu" (LI 4) for 20 min and then at bilateral "Sanyinjiao" (SP 6) for 5 min with 2 Hz/50 Hz sparse-dense wave, while the other groups without acupuncture intervention. The contents of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and interleukin 8 (IL-8) in cervix tissue were detected by ELISA method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the blank control group, the contents of MMP-9 and IL-8 in the model group were increased significantly (both P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the contents of MMP-9 and IL-8 in the EA group were increased significantly (P < or = 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Optimized traditional acupuncture prescription for accouchement can increase the contents of MMP-9 and IL-8 in cervix tissue of late-stage pregnant rats so as to promote cervical ripening, and the mechanism of EA in promoting cervical ripening is explained from the perspective of molecular biology.
authors.affiliation: College of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Massage, Beijing University of CM, Beijing 100029, China.
authors.forename: Li-Wen
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.forename: Hong-Wen
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Ying-Ru
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Fu-Zheng
authors.initials: FZ
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.forename: Liang-Xiao
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000818:Animals; D020070:Cervical Ripening / Q000378:metabolism; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000378:metabolism; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000378:metabolism; D023421:Models, Animal; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D016209:Interleukin-8; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9