title: [Effects of moxibustion on expression of hypothalamic POMC mRNA and PDYN mRNA in rats with rheumatoid arthritis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the central mechanism of moxibustion on analgesic effect.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Wistar rats were screened by pain threshold value before making model, and 48 rats whose pain threshold was (250 +/- 25) g were selected. Twelve male Wistar rats were randomly selected as a normal group. For the rest rats the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) model was duplicated by raising in a windy, cold and wet environment combined with injection of Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA), and then they were randomly divided into a model group, a moxibustion group and a moxa volatile oil group, 12 rats in each group. The moxibustion and the moxa volatile oil igroup were treated with moxibustion and moxa volatile oil at "Shenshu"(BL 23) and "Zusanli"(ST 36), respectively, for 15 days. No interventions were added on the model group and the normal group. The pain threshold in Iinjured foot and the expression of hypothalamic POMC mRNA and PDYN mRNA in rats were observed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the normal group, the pain threshold and the expression of hypothalamic POMC mRNA and PDYN mRNA in the model group were increased (all P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the pain threshold and the expression of hypothalamic POMC mRNA and PDYN mRNA in the moxibustion group were increased significantly (all P < 0.01), but no statistically significance in the moxa volatile oil group (P > 0.05). Compared with the moxa volatile oil group, the above-mentioned observative indices in moxibustion group were all increased significantly (all P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Moxibustion has obvious analgesic effect and its mechanism may be related to the increasing expression of hypothalamic POMC and PDYN mRNA through the warming effect of moxibustion.
authors.affiliation: Anhui College of TCM, Hefei 230038, China.
authors.forename: Bao-Zhu
authors.initials: BZ
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Xiao-Ge
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Zi-Jian
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Rong-Lin
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009071:Moxibustion; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D004745:Enkephalins; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin; C033660:preproenkephalin