This study is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NO.82105042, 82205302); Shanghai Post-doctoral Excellence Program (NO.2020371); China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (NO.2021M692156); Shanghai Sailing Program (NO.20YF1450900); Science Foundation of Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine (NO.2021yygq03). The funders had no role in the design, execution, or writing of the study.

All experiments were approved and supervised by the Animal Care and Use Committee of the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (approval number: SYXK2018-0040), which conforms to the stipulations in the World Medical Association Helsinki Declaration.
1. Animal preparation
<ol>
	<li>House 32 Sprague Dawley (SD) male rats aged 8 weeks and weighing 180-220 g in a specific pathogen-free housing apparatus under 12 h light/12 h dark cycles at 24 &#177; 2 &#176;C and ...

Therapeutic Potential of Tuina Massage for Knee Osteoarthritis

<ol>
	<li>Katz, J. N., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Diagnosis+and+treatment+of+hip+and+knee+osteoarthritis:+A+review.">Diagnosis and treatment of hip and knee osteoarthritis: A review.</a> JAMA. 325 (6), 568-578 (2021).</li><li>Culvenor, A. G., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Prevalence+of+knee+osteoarthritis+features+on+magnetic+resonance+imaging+in+asymptomatic+uninjured+adults:+a+systematic+review+and+meta-analysis.">Prevalence of knee osteoarthritis features on magnetic resonance imaging in asymptomatic uninjured adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.</a> Br J Sports Med. 53 (20), 1268-1278 (2019).</li><li>Safiri, S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=regional+and+national+burden+of+osteoarthritis+1990-2017:+a+systematic+analysis+of+the+Global+Burden+of+Disease+Study+2017.">regional and national burden of osteoarthritis 1990-2017: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.</a> Ann Rheum Dis. 79 (6), 819-828 (2020).</li><li>Kong, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Traditional+Chinese+exercises+on+pain+and+disability+in+middle-aged+and+elderly+patients+with+neck+pain:+a+systematic+review+and+meta-analysis+of+randomized+controlled+trials.">Traditional Chinese exercises on pain and disability in middle-aged and elderly patients with neck pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.</a> Front Aging Neurosci. 14, 912-945 (2022).</li><li>Nevitt, M. 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L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Evidence-based+evaluation+of+complementary+health+approaches+for+pain+management+in+the+United+States.">Evidence-based evaluation of complementary health approaches for pain management in the United States.</a> Mayo Clin Proc. 91 (9), 1292-1306 (2016).</li><li>Bervoets, D. C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Massage+therapy+has+short-term+benefits+for+people+with+common+musculoskeletal+disorders+compared+to+no+treatment:+a+systematic+review.">Massage therapy has short-term benefits for people with common musculoskeletal disorders compared to no treatment: a systematic review.</a> J Physiother. 61 (3), 106-116 (2015).</li><li>Xu, H., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effectiveness+of+tui+na+in+treating+pain+after+total+knee+replacement+for+knee+osteoarthritis.">Effectiveness of tui na in treating pain after total knee replacement for knee osteoarthritis.</a> Chinese Tissue Engineering Research. 25 (18), 2840-2845 (2021).</li><li>Ali, A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Massage+therapy+and+quality+of+life+in+osteoarthritis+of+the+knee:+a+qualitative+study.">Massage therapy and quality of life in osteoarthritis of the knee: a qualitative study.</a> Pain Med. 18 (6), 1168-1175 (2017).</li><li>Yoh, S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Intra-articular+injection+of+monoiodoacetate+induces+diverse+hip+osteoarthritis+in+rats,+depending+on+its+dose.">Intra-articular injection of monoiodoacetate induces diverse hip osteoarthritis in rats, depending on its dose.</a> BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 23 (1), 494-487 (2022).</li><li>Lockwood, S. M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Characterisation+of+peripheral+and+central+components+of+the+rat+monoiodoacetate+model+of+osteoarthritis.">Characterisation of peripheral and central components of the rat monoiodoacetate model of osteoarthritis.</a> Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 27 (4), 712-722 (2019).</li><li>McCoy, A. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Animal+models+of+osteoarthritis:+Comparisons+and+key+considerations.">Animal models of osteoarthritis: Comparisons and key considerations.</a> Vet Pathol. 52 (5), 803-818 (2015).</li><li>Guo, X. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Exploring+the+effect+of+pushing+on+cartilage+in+rats+with+knee+osteoarthritis+based+on+ROCK/LIMK1/Cofilin+signaling+pathway.">Exploring the effect of pushing on cartilage in rats with knee osteoarthritis based on ROCK/LIMK1/Cofilin signaling pathway.</a> Chongqing Medical University. , 42-44 (2022).</li><li>Liu, Z. F., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Tuina+for+peripherally-induced+neuropathic+pain:+A+review+of+analgesic+mechanism.">Tuina for peripherally-induced neuropathic pain: A review of analgesic mechanism.</a> Front Neurosci. 16, 1096-1104 (2022).</li><li>Gebremariam, L., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Subacromial+impingement+syndrome--effectiveness+of+physiotherapy+and+manual+therapy.">Subacromial impingement syndrome--effectiveness of physiotherapy and manual therapy.</a> Br J Sports Med. 48 (16), 1202-1208 (2014).</li><li>Yao, C., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Transcriptome+profiling+of+microRNAs+reveals+potential+mechanisms+of+manual+therapy+alleviating+neuropathic+pain+through+microRNA-547-3p-mediated+Map4k4/NF-kappab+signaling+pathway.">Transcriptome profiling of microRNAs reveals potential mechanisms of manual therapy alleviating neuropathic pain through microRNA-547-3p-mediated Map4k4/NF-kappab signaling pathway.</a> J Neuroinflammation. 19 (1), 211-221 (2022).</li><li>Valera-Calero, A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Endocrine+response+after+cervical+manipulation+and+mobilization+in+people+with+chronic+mechanical+neck+pain:+a+randomized+controlled+trial.">Endocrine response after cervical manipulation and mobilization in people with chronic mechanical neck pain: a randomized controlled trial.</a> Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 55 (6), 792-805 (2019).</li><li>Kovanur, S. K., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Measureable+changes+in+the+neuro-endocrinal+mechanism+following+spinal+manipulation.">Measureable changes in the neuro-endocrinal mechanism following spinal manipulation.</a> Med Hypotheses. 85 (6), 819-824 (2015).</li><li>Colombi, A., Testa, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+effects+induced+by+spinal+manipulative+therapy+on+the+immune+and+endocrine+systems.">The effects induced by spinal manipulative therapy on the immune and endocrine systems.</a> Medicina (Kaunas). 55 (8), 312-314 (2019).</li><li>Afify, A., Mark, H. F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fluorescence+in+situ+hybridization+assessment+of+chromosome+8+copy+number+in+stage+I+and+stage+II+infiltrating+ductal+carcinoma+of+the+breast.">Fluorescence in situ hybridization assessment of chromosome 8 copy number in stage I and stage II infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast.</a> Cancer Genet Cytogenet. 97 (2), 101-105 (1997).</li><li>Kirby, B. S., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mechanical+influences+on+skeletal+muscle+vascular+tone+in+humans:+insight+into+contraction-induced+rapid+vasodilatation.">Mechanical influences on skeletal muscle vascular tone in humans: insight into contraction-induced rapid vasodilatation.</a> J Physiol. 583, 861-874 (2007).</li><li>Sefton, J. 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The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

This study aims to assess the improvement of KOA after Tuina intervention by using standardized behavioral indicators and investigate the mechanisms of Tuina for KOA and the association between skeletal muscle and KOA. Unlike pharmacological and surgical therapies, Tuina has a positive regulatory effect on the motor, immune, and endocrine systems. Tuina can relieve inflammation and pain produced by disease by acting on different targets. For example, by regulating the TLR4 pathway and miRNA, it can inhibit the activation...

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common degenerative osteoarthritis, characterized by chronic pain and disability, and relatively severe KOA will lead to irreversible structural damage to the joint1. The high global prevalence of KOA has become a major global public health challenge2,3, which seriously impairs the quality of life of patients4,5. Studies have shown that KOA affects more than 260 million people worldwide6. With the aging of the population, the total prevalence rate of KOA in China is as high as 17.0% over the age of 40, which puts a heavy burden on the families of those affected7,8.
According to Chinese medicine, KOA belongs to the category of &#34;paralysis&#34;9, and the Yellow Emperor&#39;s Classic of Internal Medicine associates tendons, bones, and flesh with paralysis. Hence, we need to pay attention to the connection between the cartilage, muscle, synovium, as well as other tissues around the knee joint in KOA. In modern medicine, both muscle and bone inflammation, which are major components of the immune homeostasis of arthritis, drive the progression of KOA pain. However, most studies focus on cartilage inflammation and synovial inflammation in bone joints, and there is a paucity of articles examining inflammatory phenomena in skeletal muscles. Therefore, more research on the role of skeletal muscle in inflammation is needed to gain a more comprehensive understanding of KOA and provide ideas for more effective treatment modalities. In a review of the literature, we found that inhibition of the immune-related factor programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) exacerbated the progression of KOA10,11 and that there was differential expression of IL-15 and FOXO1 in the skeletal muscle of patients with KOA12, as well as significant skeletal muscle inflammation in patients with end-stage KOA, which was also associated with changes in gait. It has been shown that the skeletal muscle can also secrete factors closely related to inflammatory immunity such as IL-6, and that TNF-&#945; is also closely related to the PD-L1 pathway and KOA13,14,15.
Currently, available treatments for KOA include weight control, exercise, medication, and surgery, which usually include intra-articular injections, analgesic medication, arthroscopic surgery, and periprosthetic osteotomy of the knee16. Currently, KOA disease progression cannot be completely stopped or reversed, and without a clear understanding of the complex mechanisms underlying KOA pain, KOA patients are at risk for overuse of analgesic medications and a high incidence of side effects8. Most treatment strategies are effective only for short periods and focus only on the temporary relief of symptoms rather than on the pathogenesis of the disease. Therefore, KOA pain remains a priority and a challenge for treatment, posing a serious clinical challenge. However, Tuina can directly stimulate the skeletal muscles around the affected joint in KOA treatment and can provide some benefits. Combined with the previous description, it is the ideal therapy to study the role of skeletal muscle tissue in KOA, and clarifying the role of skeletal muscle tissue in inflammation can also provide better theoretical support for Tuina of KOA.
Studies have shown that massage therapy, osteopathic manipulative therapy, and spinal manipulation can help relieve pain and restore body function17,18. These manipulations can act on local inflammation and relieve spasms and analgesia through external mechanical action. They can relieve pain after total knee arthroplasty, reduce the use of analgesic drugs, promote postoperative recovery, and improve biomechanical balance19. Swedish massage is feasible in the treatment of osteoarthritis and can reduce stress and improve quality of life20. The therapeutic effect of Tuina on KOA has been preceded by certain studies.
In this experiment, our team will explore whether the expression of PD-L1 and related inflammatory factors in skeletal muscle can induce KOA and promote its development based on the MIA-induced KOA model in rats. Tuina will also be implemented to see whether it can alleviate KOA symptoms caused by increased inflammatory factor expression. Tuina will be combined with PD-L1 inhibition to demonstrate the association between Tuina-mediated PD-1 pathway in skeletal muscle inflammation affecting KOA development and pain, laying the foundation for further multi-level studies on the therapeutic mechanisms of Tuina intervention in KOA.
In summary, this paper describes the investigation and elaboration of the mechanisms of skeletal muscle inflammation in the development of KOA and its pain, as well as the therapeutic effects of Tuina on KOA, from the perspective of immune-inflammatory factor expression, combined with behavioral related indicators, to provide modern research evidence for the &#34;imbalance of tendon and bone&#34; theory in traditional Chinese medicine.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Anti-PD-L1</td>
			<td>Abcam, Cambridge, MA, USA</td>
			<td>ab80276</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>electric von Frey esthesiometer&#160;</td>
			<td>IITC/Life Science, Woodland Hills, CA, USA</td>
			<td>ALMEMO 2450</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>GraphPad Prism 9.0</td>
			<td>GraphPad Software</td>
			<td></td>
			<td>Software for stastistical analysis</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>monosodium iodoacetate</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich Inc</td>
			<td>I9148</td>
			<td>Resolved into normal saline for injection</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>pentasorbital sodium</td>
			<td>Sigma-Aldrich Inc</td>
			<td>P3761</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sprague Dawley (SD) male rats</td>
			<td>Shanghai Jihui Experimental Animal Breeding Co., Ltd</td>
			<td>No. SCXK (Hu) 2017-0012</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>thermal analgesia tester</td>
			<td>IITC/Life Science</td>
			<td>Model 390</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

tuina intervention in sodium monoiodoacetate injection-induced rat model of knee osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA), a common degenerative joint disorder, is characterized by chronic pain and disability, which can progress to irreparable structural damage of the joint. Investigations into the link between articular cartilage, muscles, synovium, and other tissues surrounding the knee joint in KOA are of great importance. Currently, managing KOA includes lifestyle modifications, exercise, medication, and surgical interventions; however, the elucidation of the intricate mechanisms underlying KOA-related pain is still lacking. Consequently, KOA pain remains a key clinical challenge and a therapeutic priority. Tuina has been found to have a regulatory effect on the motor, immune, and endocrine systems, prompting the exploration of whether Tuina could alleviate KOA symptoms, caused by the upregulation of inflammatory factors, and further, if the inflammatory factors in skeletal muscle can augment the progression of KOA.
We randomized 32 male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats (180-220 g) into four groups of eight animals each: antiPD-L1+Tuina (group A), model (group B), Tuina (group C), and sham surgery (group D). For groups A, B, and C, we injected 25 &#181;L of sodium monoiodoacetate (MIA) solution (4 mg MIA diluted in 25 &#181;L of sterile saline solution) into the right knee joint cavity, and for group D, the same amount of sterile physiological saline was injected. All the groups were evaluated using the least to most stressful tests (paw mechanical withdrawal threshold, paw withdrawal thermal latency, swelling of the right knee joint, Lequesne MG score, skin temperature) before injection and 2, 9, and 16 days after injection.

Author Spotlight: Treating Knee Osteoarthritis with Tuina - A New Perspective 

Tuina Intervention in Sodium Monoiodoacetate Injection-Induced Rat Model of Knee Osteoarthritis

We are trying to broaden the views on the research of knee osteoarthritis by introducing the perspective of refocusing on muscle inflammation during the pathological process of the KOA. There is a recent trend in non-pharmacological therapy treating the knee osteoarthritis. Therapy measures of traditional Chinese medicine, such as TNA and acupuncture, are receiving more and more recognition.There is a calling for detailed mechanism in the treatment. Our experiments indicates the possibility of chronic muscle inflammation in the process of knee osteoarthritis. It also points out the possibility of non-pharmacological therapy such as TNA to treat and control it.

The described protocol was implemented in a clinical setting at Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine. Figure 1 shows the exact location of the acupoints pushed in rats, and Table 1 illustrates the common benefits of stimulating these points. Table 2 and Table 3 offer compelling evidence of notable pain relief achieved through Tuina therapy, even in the absence of PD-1 pathway inhibition. The findings presen...

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This protocol describes the methods of Tuina intervention in sodium monoiodoacetate injection-induced rat model of knee osteoarthritis (KOA), which provides a reference for the application of Tuina in KOA animal models. This protocol also studies the effective mechanism of Tuina for KOA, and the results will help promote its application.

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA), a common degenerative joint disorder, is characterized by chronic pain and disability, which can progress to irreparable ...

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Tuina Intervention in a Sodium Monoiodoacetate Injection-Induced Rat Model of Knee Osteoarthritis

Measurement of the Behavioral and Lequesne MG Indexes After Tuina Intervention in a Rat Model of Knee Osteoarthritis

1.1K Views.  Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.  This protocol describes the methods of Tuina intervention in sodium monoiodoacetate injection-induced rat model of knee osteoarthritis (KOA), which provides a reference for the application of Tuina in KOA animal models. This protocol also studies the effective mechanism of Tuina for KOA, and the results will help promote its application.

Therapeutic Potential of Tuina Massage for Knee Osteoarthritis

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