Effect of acupuncture on inflammatory cytokines expression of spastic cerebral palsy rats.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To To investigate the effect of acupuncture on the tumor necrosis factor-&#x3b1; (TNF-&#x3b1;), interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), nitric oxide synthase (NOS) content and muscular tension of spasticity cerebral palsy rat model. METHODS: The rats with spastic cerebral palsy were randomly divided into the control group, model group and acupuncture group. After successful modeling, the muscular tension and the content of TNF-&#x3b1;, IL-6, CRP, NOS were measured. RESULTS: The serum TNF-&#x3b1;, IL-6, CRP, NOS content were significantly decreased in the acupuncture group (P<0.05). The low and high shear viscosity of whole blood of the acupuncture group were significantly lower than the control group and the model group (P<0.05). The erythrocyte electrophoresis indexes in the acupuncture group were significantly lower than that in the model group and the control group (P<0.05). Acupuncture significantly reduced the muscular tension of spastic cerebral palsy rat and increased the active extent in the paralytic extremity (P<0.05), but it could not be restored to normal level. Compared with the control group, the difference had significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture treatment can inhibit the release of inflammatory cells after brain injury, then reduce immune injury, relieve muscle spasms and reduce muscular tension.