Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2013, Vol. 8 ›› Issue (12): 1132-1138.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.12.008

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Efficacy of suspended moxibustion in stroke rats is associated with a change in tail temperature

Rixin Chen1, Zhimai Lv2, Dangdang Huang3, Mingren Chen1, Fan Yi4   

  1. 1 Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China
    2 The First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi Province, China
    3 Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi Province, China
    4 Department of Health of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China
  • Received:2012-06-28 Revised:2013-01-24 Online:2013-04-25 Published:2013-04-25
  • Contact: Rixin Chen, Professor, Doctoral supervisor, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China, jxchenrixin@yahoo.com.cn.
  • About author:Rixin Chen and Zhimai Lv contributed equally to this work.
  • Supported by:

    国家重点基础研究发展计划（2009CB522902）；国家自然科学基金项目（81160453）；江西省卫生厅中医药科研基金（2011A008）

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Abstract:

Suspended moxibustion-produced heat can transfer from the acupoint to other sites of the body. The suspended moxibustion should be terminated when clinical propagated sensation disappears, because this implies that the quantity of moxibustion is sufficient. We wanted to investigate if this phenomenon also occurs in experimental animals. In the present study, a rat model of stroke was established and treated with suspended moxibustion at Dazhui (DU14) for 60 minutes. Results showed that the increase in tail temperature began at 15 minutes after suspended moxibustion and decreased gradually at 40 minutes. In addition, neurological function was significantly improved in stroke rats with tail temperature increase following suspended moxibustion, and this effect was associated with significantly reduced tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 1β mRNA. However, there was no significant difference between 40- and 60-minute suspended moxibustion. The findings indicate that elevated tail temperature began to decrease at 40 minutes after suspended moxibustion, and further suspended moxibustion was not useful in the recovery of stroke rats.

Key words: neural regeneration, traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture and moxibustion, suspended moxibustion, stroke, tail temperature, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1 beta, grants-supported paper, neuroregeneration