Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2017, Vol. 12 ›› Issue (9): 1472-1478.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.215259

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Extracellular signal-regulated kinase, substance P and neurokinin-1 are involved in the analgesic mechanism of herb-partitioned moxibustion

Zhi-yuan Li1, 2, Yan-ting Yang1, Jue Hong3, Dan Zhang1, 3, Xiao-fei Huang1, Li-jie Wu1, Huan-gan Wu1, 3, Zheng Shi3, Jie Liu3, Yi Zhu3, Xiao-peng Ma1, 3   

  1. 1 Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
    2 Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
    3 Shanghai Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian, Shanghai, China
  • Received:2017-06-29 Online:2017-09-15 Published:2017-09-15
  • Contact: Xiao-peng Ma, Ph.D. or Dan Zhang, Ph.D.,pengpengma@163.com or zhangdan_982@163.com.
  • Supported by:

    This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81273843, 81674073; a grant from the National Key Basic Research Program of China (973 Program), No. 2015CB554501; the Project Fund of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning of China, No. 20144Y0153, 2017BR047.

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Abstract:

Herb-partitioned moxibustion can effectively mitigate visceral pain, a major symptom in inflammatory bowel disease, but the analgesic mechanism is still unclear. Moreover, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, substance P, and neurokinin-1 are involved in formation of central hyperalgesia. Thus, we postulated that the analgesic effect of herb-partitioned moxibustion may be associated with these factors.Accordingly, in this study, we established an inflammatory bowel disease visceral pain model in rat by enema with a mixed solution of 5% trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid and 50% ethanol. Bilateral Tianshu (ST25) and Qihai (CV6) points were selected for herb-partitioned moxibustion.Our results showed that herb-partitioned moxibustion improved visceral pain and down-regulated extracellular signal-regulated kinase, substance P, and neurokinin-1 protein and mRNA expression in dorsal root ganglia. These results indicate that down-regulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase, substance P, and neurokinin-1 protein and mRNA may be a central mechanism for the analgesic effect of herb-partitioned moxibustion.

Key words: nerve regeneration, inflammatory bowel disease, visceral pain, herb-partitioned moxibustion, analgesic effect, Tianshu (ST25), Qihai (CV6), dorsal root ganglion, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, substance P, neurokinin-1, neural regeneration