Effectiveness Of CO₂ Laser Moxibustion And Traditional Mild Moxibustion On Knee Osteoarthritis Model Rats

[Objective]To compare the effectiveness of CO₂laser moxibustion and traditional mild moxibustion on KOA?Knee Osteoarthritis?model rats,and to explore the possible mechanism of CO₂laser moxibustion and traditional mild moxibustion treatment of KOA,and provide scientific basis for CO₂laser moxibustion treatment of KOA.[Method]Healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups:blank control group of 7 rats,KOA model group of 7 rats,the laser moxibustion group of 8 rats and mild moxibustion group of 9 rats.Except for the blank control group,an equivalent amount of 0.9%saline was injected into the knee joint,and the other three groups were treated with monosodium iodoactate?MIA?-induced rat knee osteoarthritis animal model.After successful model replication,the laser moxibustion group and the mild moxibustion group were given CO₂laser moxibustion or mild moxibustion ST35 once a day for 10 minutes for a total of 6 treatments.After 1 day before modeling and 24 hours after modeling,after 2,4 and 6 treatments,Paw Withdrawal Thermal Latency?PWTL?and Paw Withdrawal Mechanical Threshold?PWMT?were measured.After 6treatments and pain tests,the peripheral blood of rats was taken.The concentrations of norepinephrine?NE?and interleukin-17?IL-17?were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The knee joints of rats were taken and fixed and sliced.Hematoxylin-eosin HE staining,changes in cartilage morphology were observed under the microscope and OARSI score was performed.[Result]1.The comparison of PWTL in each group of rats:There was no statistically significant difference in PWTL before the model establishment;PWTL in KOA model group,laser moxibustion group and mild moxibustion group after modeling was significantly shorter than that in the blank control group?P<0.01?.There was no statistically significant difference between the three groups?P>0.05?.After 2 treatments,PWTL in the laser moxibustion group and the mild moxibustion group was significantly longer than that in the KOA model group?P<0.01,P<0.05,respectively?,but there was no statistically significant difference between the control group and the blank control group?P>0.05?.After 4 treatments,PWTL in the CO₂laser moxibustion group was significantly greater than that in the KOA model group?P<0.01?,but not statistically significant?P>0.05?.PWTL in the traditional mild moxibustion group was not significantly different from that in KOA model group?P>0.05?,and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups?P>0.05?.Six times of treatment,PWTL in CO₂laser moxibustion group was not significantly different from that of KOA model group?P>0.05?,and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups?P>0.05?.PWTL in traditional mild moxibustion group was significant.There was no statistically significant difference?P>0.05?compared with the saline group?P<0.05?.2.The OARSI scores of the rats in each group were compared.The OARSI scores of the CO₂laser moxibustion group and the mild moxibustion group were lower than those of the KOA model group.The scores of the CO₂laser moxibustion group and the KOA model group were statistically significant?P<0.05?.The OARSI score of the CO₂laser moxibustion group was also significantly lower than that of the traditional mild moxibustion group?P<0.05?.3.The results of NE concentration in peripheral blood of rats in each group:There was no statistically significant difference in NE concentration between saline blank group,KOA model group,CO₂laser moxibustion group and traditional mild moxibustion group?all P>0.05?.4.The results of IL-17 concentration in peripheral blood of rats in each group:There was no statistically significant difference in IL-17 concentrations between saline blank group,KOA model group,CO₂laser moxibustion group and traditional mild moxibustion group?all P>0.05?.[Conclusion]Both CO₂laser moxibustion and mild moxibustion can significantly prolong PWTL of the KOA model rats and relieve pain.Both the laser moxibustion and mild moxibustion methods are effective treatments for knee osteoarthritis and are worthy of clinical application.