Abstract
Objectives : To investigate effects of Achyranthis Radix aqua-acupuncture on adjuvant arthritis in rats. Methods : After eliciting arthritis in Sprague dawley(SD) rats by injection of Freund's complete adjuvant for 2 weeks, normal saline was injected for the Exp. I group and Achyranthis Radix aqua-acupuncture was injected for the Exp. II group during 30days. The selected point was Dokbi (ST35) in both groups. Then the edema rate, the number of WBC, the quantity of total protein, albumin and globuline in the blood serum, and histological test of the muscular tissue were measured in the arthritis stricken areas. Results : I) The volume of the paws were checked. The volume of the paws was $0.84{\pm}0.l4mm$ in the Exp. I group and $0.47{\pm}0.14mm$ in the Exp. IIgroup. The swelling of the paws was restricted significantly in the Exp. II group(P<0.05). 2) The number of WBC was $10.34{\pm}0.14(l03/ml)$ in the normal group and $37.47{\pm}5.46(103/ml)$ in the Exp. I group. It was $21.24{\pm}2.58(103/ml)$ in the Exp. II group. This fact showed that treatment with Achyranthis Radix aqua-acupuncture adminstered to the Exp. II group was more effective than the Exp. I group in the treatment of arthritis(P<0.05). 3) The content of the total protein in the blood serum was $6.14{\pm}43g/dl$ in the normal group, $7.95{\pm}0.94g/dl$ in the Exp. I group, and $6.41{\pm}0.68g/dl$ in the Exp. II group. There was no significance in total protein between the Exp. II group and the Exp. I group from the statistical analysis. 4) The content of albumin in the blood serum was $2.94{\pm}0.l3g/dl$ in the normal group, $2.01{\pm}0.48g/dl$ in the Exp. I group and $3.15{\pm}0.27g/dl$ in the Exp. II group, which revealed a significant increase in the serum albumin from the statistical analysis of the Exp. II group compared with the Exp. I group. 5) The content of the globulin in the blood serum was $3.19{\pm}$0.48g/dl in the normal group, $4.70{\pm}1.26g/dl$ in the Exp. I group and $3.26{\pm}0.57g/dl$ in the Exp. II group. There was no significance in the serum globulin between the Exp. II group and Exp. I group from the statistical analysis. 6) In histological findings, because of severe inflammatory reaction, remarkably irregular tissue and large amount of inflammatory cells were found in the Exp. I group. But the Exp. II group showed a small amount of inflammatory cells, the refrained inflammatory state and even recovering state. Conclusions : These results show that Achyranthis Radix aqua-acupuncture reduces the inflammatory reaction and muscular tissue necrosis in SD rat's paws induced by Freund's complete adjuvant.
