du-moxibustion in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (as) in an as mouse model

探索 Du-Moxibust 治疗强直性脊柱炎的治疗潜力

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a progressively worsening and disabling form of arthritis that primarily affects the axial skeleton. According to the latest epidemiological survey, ~0.01%-1.8% of people in the world suffer from this condition1, most of whom are young males (male to female ratio is ~2-3:1)2. The incidence of AS in the Chinese population is 0.2%-0.4%. This disease mainly involves the spine and the sacroiliac joint. Fusion of the spine and the sacroiliac joint may occur in the later stages of the disease, resulting in spinal stiffness and kyphosis, as well as difficulty in walking, which seriously affects the quality of work and daily living activities and imposes a heavy burden on the patient, family, and society1. Currently, there is no definitive solution for AS, and the provided treatments, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological, primarily focus on alleviating pain, slowing disease progression, and enhancing the quality of life. In recent years, because pharmacotherapeutic options have been very limited3, increasing attention has been paid to non-pharmacotherapy, which has become an alternative therapy for AS. In China, patients often prefer external treatment consisting of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which has minor side effects and great convenience during the treatment.
Moxibustion is an ancient therapeutic technique used in TCM. Du-moxibustion is an external treatment technique consisting of &#34;medicated moxibustion with foam&#34; on the spine segment of the Du meridian. It is mainly used in the treatment of AS and has shown safety and effectiveness. Compared with ordinary moxibustion, Du-moxibustion has the characteristics of a wide moxibustion area, a large moxa cone, strong firepower, and high temperature4. A systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that moxibustion is an effective complementary treatment for AS5. A recent study confirmed that the clinical symptoms and some inflammatory factors of AS patients were improved by moxibustion6. Studies have revealed that Du-moxibustion can increase the brain content of &#946;-endorphin and exert a central analgesic effect7, downregulate the expression of the HLA-B27 gene8, and delay the recurrence rate of AS. Du-moxibustion also has an ameliorating effect on the progression of AS by decreasing the inflammatory index ESR (ESR) and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), C-terminal peptide of type I collagen (CTX-I), and Dickkopf1 protein (DKK1)9,10.
Another clinical study showed that Du-moxibustion can further adjust the disordered T cell subsets, Ig, and complement C3 to balance the immune mechanism11. In terms of bone metabolism, moxibustion can inhibit the rise of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and serum phosphorus (S-P), increase serum calcium (S-Ca), bone mineral density (BMD), and bone strength12. Moreover, Du-moxibustion can repair spinal function at multiple points to relieve fatigue symptoms in AS patients13. Some animal studies have revealed the potential mechanism of moxibustion in treating AS. A study indicated that moxibustion significantly improved the overall health status, reduced the levels of paw thickness, and decreased the levels of IL-1&#946;, PGE2, IL-6, and TNF-&#945; in the ligament tissue samples of the spine. Metabolic pathway analysis linked the identified metabolites to the TCA cycle, as well as lipid, amino acid, intestinal flora, and purine metabolism14. Another study showed that moxibustion suppressed the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-1&#946;, TNF-&#945;, IL-17, and IL-6; reduced the mRNA levels of RANKL, RANK, ALP, and OCN; and improved the histopathological features in AS mice15.
While these studies suggest that moxibustion may be effective in the treatment of AS, more research is needed to confirm these findings and determine the optimal treatment protocol for moxibustion in patients with AS. Our team created and modified the moxibustion therapy based on the basic theory and practical operation of traditional Chinese moxibustion, which has been widely carried out and applied in Chinese clinical practice for over 35 years. Although there are few high-quality studies on the treatment of AS by Du-moxibustion, its indication in treating AS has been supported by evidence. However, the mechanism of treating AS with Du-moxibustion is worthy of further study. Animal study is an important method to explore the mechanism of Du-moxibustion in the treatment of AS. The clinical operation of Du-moxibustion is relatively mature but rarely used in the study of the mechanism in animal experiments. This paper describes in detail the operation and precautions to be taken during Du-moxibustion in the treatment of AS experimental mice.

作者聚焦：评估传统中医疗法治疗小鼠强直性脊柱炎 

强直性脊柱炎小鼠模型中的杜艾灸

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Du-Moxibustion in the Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis AS in an AS Mouse Model at JoVE.com

Du-Moxibustion in the Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) in an AS Mouse Model  

Du-艾灸治疗AS小鼠模型中的强直性脊柱炎（AS）

首先，取一块天鹅绒并将其拧成纺锤形，制成艾灸锥。现在，将生姜切成小块，然后在榨汁机中捣成泥。用棉纱过滤姜泥，将姜汁和泥浆从果泥中分离出来。取 10 克姜泥和 20 毫升姜汁放入纸杯中，以备后用。然后取中药粉0.1克，用研钵研磨。在对小鼠进行麻醉并确认适当的手术深度后，将其从麻醉诱导箱中取出。将鼠标以俯卧姿势固定在手术台上。将鼠标的嘴和鼻子与麻醉剂的出口对齐。在操作过程中保持麻醉并将鼠标放在 37 摄氏度的加热垫上。在鼠标的眼睛上涂抹润滑剂以防止干燥。现在，找到鼠标上的穴位，并确定刺激区域。剃掉老鼠背部的毛发，直到看到老鼠背部的肉色皮肤。确保脱毛宽度为 1.5 厘米，并从 C7 延伸到尾椎。使用棉纱布，将准备好的姜汁涂抹在老鼠背部的剃光区域。然后，用毛笔将中药粉均匀地撒在鼠标背部的中线上，并用桑皮纸覆盖该区域。接下来，用姜泥做成梯形姜柱，用桑皮纸填满。在生姜柱的中线上方创建一个凹槽，然后将准备好的艾灸锥放入凹槽中。然后，点燃艾灸锥，并在烧坏后更换新的艾灸锥。擦掉鼠标背上的生姜和中药粉。清洁鼠标背面，停止麻醉，让鼠标恢复。

du-moxibustion-treatment-ankylosing-spondylitis-as-an-as-mouse

Research

JoVE Journal

Immunology and Infection

Du-Moxibustion in the Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) in an AS Mouse Model

68 次观看. 首先，取一块天鹅绒并将其拧成纺锤形，制成艾灸锥。现在，将生姜切成小块，然后在榨汁机中捣成泥。用棉纱过滤姜泥，将姜汁和泥浆从果泥中分离出来。取 10 克姜泥和 20 毫升姜汁放入纸杯中，以备后用。然后取中药粉0.1克，用研钵研磨。在对小鼠进行麻醉并确认适当的手术深度后，将其从麻醉诱导箱中取出。将鼠标以俯卧姿势固定在手术台上。将鼠标的嘴和?...

视频: Du-Moxibustion in the Treatment of Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) in an AS Mouse Model  

Du-Moxibustion in a Mouse Model of Ankylosing Spondylitis

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a progressively worsening and disabling form of arthritis that primarily affects the axial skeleton. This disease mainly involves the spine and the sacroiliac joint. Fusion of the spine and the sacroiliac joint may occur in the later stage of the disease, resulting in spinal stiffness and kyphosis, as well as difficulty in walking, which seriously affects the quality of work and daily living activities and imposes a heavy burden on the patient, the family, and society. Increasing attention has been paid to non-pharmacotherapy as an alternative therapy for AS. Moxibustion is an ancient therapeutic technique used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Du-moxibustion therapy, a unique and innovative external treatment developed on the basis of ordinary moxibustion, has a definite therapeutic effect on AS. Du-moxibustion skillfully combines the compatible techniques of TCM to integrate meridians, acupoints, Chinese herbal medicine, and moxibustion. This paper describes the operation procedures and precautions to be taken during Du-moxibustion in experimental mice in detail to provide an experimental basis for the study of the mechanism of Du-moxibustion in the treatment of AS.

This paper describes in detail the operation procedures and precautions to be taken during Du-moxibustion in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis in experimental mice.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a progressively worsening and disabling form of arthritis that primarily affects the axial skeleton. This disease mainly ...