Mild heat therapy at specific acupuncture points reduced menstrual-pain-related uterine swelling in rats by improving uterine microcirculation, chiefly through lowering prostaglandin F two alpha.
Female rats were assigned to untreated control, control receiving mild heat therapy, menstrual pain model, or menstrual pain model receiving mild heat therapy groups. The menstrual pain model was induced using estradiol benzoate and oxytocin. Treated rats received daily mild moxibustion at the Sanyinjiao and Guanyuan acupuncture points for ten consecutive days. Researchers monitored reproductive cycles, examined uterine microvessels and uterine morphology under microscopy, and measured uterine prostaglandin levels using an immunoassay.
Rats with induced menstrual pain showed disturbed uterine microcirculation and uterine swelling. Mild moxibustion enlarged uterine microvessels, improved circulation abnormalities, and reduced swelling in these rats. Changes in prostaglandin E two were more apparent during treatment, but reductions in prostaglandin F two alpha were more closely associated with improvements in uterine blood vessels and morphology, suggesting this pathway may underlie the observed benefit.
