Manual acupuncture at Spleen Six reduced abdominal inflammation in rats, producing effects comparable to an anti-inflammatory drug while selectively altering brainstem immune signals.
Researchers induced abdominal inflammation in rats using bacterial endotoxin, first identifying an effective dose. They then compared untreated animals with animals given indomethacin, manual acupuncture at Spleen Six, or acupuncture at a non-acupuncture location before endotoxin exposure. Four hours later, they assessed inflammatory-cell movement, blood-vessel leakage, enzyme activity associated with neutrophils, and inflammatory signalling molecules in abdominal fluid and the brainstem.
Acupuncture at Spleen Six reduced inflammatory-cell infiltration, vascular leakage, and neutrophil-associated enzyme activity, similarly to indomethacin. Both treatments lowered tumour necrosis factor and maintained interleukin ten in abdominal fluid, although indomethacin also lowered interleukin six. In the brainstem, acupuncture reduced tumour necrosis factor and interleukin six, suggesting that its anti-inflammatory effects may involve neural regulation of immune responses.
