The effect of acupuncture on pain and swelling of arthritis animal models: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Arthritis, the inflammation of joints, attributes to the patient’s pain, joint deformation, and limited range of motion. Emerging studies have shown the effects of acupuncture on different types of arthritis. We aimed to assess the effects of acupuncture on arthritis animal models and summarize the related mechanisms. We retrieved studies that met our criteria from PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Research Information Service System. The quality assessment was evaluated by using the Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory Animal Experimentation’s risk of bias tool. The pain withdrawal latency, pain withdrawal threshold, and paw volume data were digitized using Engauge Digitizer software. The meta-analysis was performed, and the figures were generated using RevMan software. The meta-analysis of data from 21 animal studies revealed that acupuncture increased tolerance to pain stimuli, and reduced swelling in arthritis animals. Although the number of included studies is insufficient, the results suggest acupuncture to be effective in improving arthritis-induced inflammation and pain by regulating the nervous and immune system.

Ondansetron or beta-sitosterol antagonizes inflammatory responses in liver, kidney, lung and heart tissues of irradiated arthritic rats model

“… 1 Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA), and gouty arthritis (GA) are the three most prevalent forms of arthritis. 2 Chronic synovitis is a hallmark of RA, an inflammatory polyarticular autoimmune disease with several factors. 3 It is the most prevalent kind of inflammatory arthritis, primarily characterized by synovial hyperplasia, aberrant humoral and cellular immune responses, and inflammation of the synovial membrane, which can damage articular cartilage and juxta-articular bone.…”