Coarse needle surface potentiates analgesic effect elicited by acupuncture with twirling manipulation in rats with nociceptive pain

Abstract

BackgroundBiomechanical phenomenon called “needle grasp” through the winding of connective tissue has been proposed as an action mechanism of acupuncture manipulation. The aim of the present study is to verify whether the needle grasp force affects the pain-relieving activity of acupuncture in the tail-flick latency (TFL) and the rat paw formalin tests.MethodsIn order to make different roughness on the acupuncture needle surface, the needles with 0.2 mm-diameter were scratched using silicon carbide sandpapers with the grit numbers of 600 (mild coarse) and 200 (extra coarse). The surface roughness and rotation-induced torque of the scratched needles were then measured by atomic force microscope and Acusensor®, respectively. Rat abdominal wall tissues including insertion site of acupuncture needle were excised after 5 unidirectional rotations of the needles having various degrees of roughness, and the morphological changes of connective tissues were analyzed using hematoxylin and eosin (H-E) staining. Finally, the effects of coarse needle surface on anti-nociception induced by twirling manipulation were tested in rat TFL and formalin test.ResultsIt was observed that the rougher the needle surface, the stronger the needle grasp force and thickness of subcutaneous connective tissue while rotating. TFL increased in proportion to surface roughness of the ground needles 10 min after acupuncture into the Zusanli acupoint (ST36) on rat’s legs. In the rat formalin test, the rougher needle also significantly exerted the larger analgesic effect during both early and late phases compared to non-ground normal needle.ConclusionSurface roughness of the acupuncture needle enhanced an anti-nociceptive activity of acupuncture therapy in rats, which partially supports the mechanical signaling theory through connective tissues in acupuncture manipulation.

<p>Green Synthesis, Characterization and Antimicrobial Activity of Copper Oxide Nanomaterial Derived from <em>Momordica charantia</em></p>

“…The vibrations might be due to phenolic compounds present in the solution. 39 The small peak at 2071.8 cm −1 corresponds to the stretching vibrations of the compounds containing C≡N bonds. The sharp peak at 1612.8-1668.2 cm −1 corresponds to the presence of C=N or C=O stretching.…”

Nerve Stimulation: Immunomodulation and Control of Inflammation

“…In addition, these effects can be prevented by disrupting the connective tissue around the acupoint with collagenase [28]. Conversely, the rotation and surface roughness of acupuncture needles can increase the mechanical stimulation of connective tissue, and thereby can enhance the effects of acupuncture[28–30]. Although these mechanisms are not well-known, preliminary experimental studies in mice suggest that acupuncture induces a mechanical stimulation of fibroblasts (the most common cells of connective tissue) through mechanical tension of the actinomyosin cytoskeleton [29, 31, 32].…”

Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitory Effect of Psychotria malayana Jack Leaf: A Rapid Analysis Using Infrared Fingerprinting

“…Apart from this, peaks of C=C and C-H out-of-plane bending were found to be more significant in the 100% methanol extract in comparison with all other extracts. Some alpha-glucosidase inhibitors identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS)-based metabolomics were bearing the aforementioned functional groups related to the active compounds, including alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E), palmitic acid, beta-tocopherol, 1-monopalmitin, and stigmast-5-ene [ 22 , 23 , 24 ], which may be present in P. malayana .…”