苗医弩药针对膝骨性关节炎大鼠背根神经节Nav1.7/Nav1.8通路的影响OA

Objective:To observe the effects of Miao medicinal crossbow acupuncture on voltage-gated sodium channel 1.7(Nav1.7)/voltage-gated sodium channel 1.8(Nav1.8)proteins in the dorsal root ganglion(DRG)of rats with knee osteoarthritis(KOA),and to explore the potential mechanism of the crossbow acupuncture treating KOA.Methods:A total of 36 rats were ran-domly divided into the normal group,the model group,the Miao medicinal crossbow acupuncture group,and the dermal needle group.Except for the normal group(n=9),the rest of the rats were injected with sodium iodoacetate into the right knee joint to establish KOA models.One rat was randomly selected from each group for model evaluation after modeling,and there were 8 rats in each group of the model group,the Miao medicinal crossbow acupuncture group,and the dermal needle group that received modeling procedure and intervention.The rats in the Miao medicinal crossbow acupuncture group were treated with Miao medici-nal crossbow acupuncture following the operation procedures,and the rats in the dermal needle group were treated with rolling a skin needle on the right knee joint surface.The intervention was given once every other day,3 times a week for 4 weeks.On day 1,14,21,28,35 and 42 of the experiment,paw withdrawal(von Frey)threshold was measured.After the intervention,H&E staining was used to observe the morphological changes of cartilage tissue in the right knee joint of rats.The contents of calcitonin gene-related peptide(CGRP),substance P(SP),and prostaglandin E2(PGE2)in serum of rats were detected by ELISA.The relative expressions of Nav1.7 and Nav1.8 proteins and mRNA in DRG tissues of rats were detected by Western blot and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.Results:Compared to the normal group,von Frey threshold was significantly decreased in the model group on day 42(P<0.05).The cartilage surface of the right knee joint was eroded and defective,with structural disorders and a significant reduction in chondrocytes.The levels of CGRP,SP,and PGE2 in serum were significantly increased(P<0.05).The relative expressions of Nav1.7 and Nav1.8 proteins and mRNA in DRG tissue were significantly increased(P<0.05).Com-pared to the model group,von Frey threshold was significantly increased on the day 42 of experiment in the Miao medicinal cross-bow acupuncture group and the dermal needle group(P<0.05).The cartilage of the right knee joint was more complete in mor-phology,with clearer structural layers and more neoplastic chondrocytes.The levels of CGRP,SP,and PGE2 in serum were sig-nificantly decreased(P<0.05).The relative expressions of Nav1.7 and Nav1.8 proteins and mRNA in DRG tissue were signifi-cantly decreased(P<0.05).Compared to the dermal needle group,von Frey threshold was significantly increased on the day 42 of experiment in the Miao medicinal crossbow acupuncture group(P<0.05).The cartilage surface of the right knee joint was smooth and the structural layers were clear.The levels of CGRP,SP,and PGE2 in serum were significantly decreased(P<0.05).The relative expressions of Nav1.7 and Nav1.8 proteins and mRNA in DRG tissue were significantly decreased(P<0.05).Conclusion:Miao medicinal crossbow acupuncture may exert its therapeutic effects on KOA by inhibiting the expression of inflam-matory factors such as CGRP,SP,and PGE2,as well as downregulating the expression of sodium channels Nav1.7 and Nav1.8 proteins in the DRG.