麦粒灸对神经根型颈椎病大鼠脊髓及神经根Activin A/ActR Ⅰ/Smad4表达的影响OACSTPCD

Objective:To investigate analgesic mechanism of wheat grain moxibustion in the treatment of cervi-cal spondylosis(CSR)by observing effects of wheat grain moxibustion on expression of transmembrane receptor Ac-tRⅠ and its post-receptor signaling protein Smad4 in the Activin A signaling pathway of cervical spondylosis in rats with neurogenic cervical radiculopathy.Methods:Thirty SD ratshalf male and half female of SPF grade were randomly divided into blank control group,model control group and wheat moxibustion group,with 10 rats in each group.The CSR model was prepared by vertebral canal insertion method.Both the model group and wheat moxibustion group were intervened on the 8th day after 7 days of wound recovery after modeling.The blank group were fed normally without any interventions,the model group injected with 1 ml of 0.9％NaCl solution intraperitoneally,and the wheat moxibustion group given wheat moxibustion on the basis of the model group at the point of the"large vertebrae"(6 strokes/times),once a day.After 7 days of continuous intervention,the gait scores of rats in each group were ob-served,the mechanical pain threshold were measured.Protein expression of Act A,ActR Ⅰ and Smad4 in the spinal cord and nerve root tissues were detected by Western blotting,the expression levels of Act A mRNA and ActR ⅠmRNA in the spinal cord and nerve root tissues were detected by PCR,the morphology and structure of the spinal cord and nerve root tissues were observed by HE staining.The level of positive expression of Smad4 was observed by immunofluorescence staining.Results:Compared with the blank group,the gait scores of rats in the model group and the wheat moxibustion group increased and the mechanical pain threshold decreased(P＜0.05).The expression lev-els of Act A,ActR Ⅰ and their mRNAs in the spinal cord and nerve root tissues of rats in the wheat moxibustion group increased compared with those in the model group(P＜0.05).Results of Western blotting and immunofluo-rescence showed an increase in the expression of Smad4.The morphological damage of the spinal cord in the wheat grain moxibustion group was reduced compared with that of the model group.Neurons in the gray matter area were shrunken,Nissen's vesicles reduced,and the number of glial cells and capillaries reduced compared with that of the model group.Conclusion:Wheat grain moxibustion at the"Da Zhui"point improves pain threshold and motor function and pro-motes neuronal repair after injury in CSR rats,which is related to activation of Activin A/ActR Ⅰ/Smad4 signaling pathway.