Effect of Acupotomy on Serum Interleukin-1 and Interleukin-6 Levels in Rats with Radicular Pain Due to Lumbar Disc Herniation

Objective To observe the effect of acupotomy on serum interleukin-1(IL-1)and interleukin-6(IL-6)levels in rats with discogenic radiculagia and to explore the possible mechanism of acupotomy in treating this disease.Methods Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal group,sham-operation group,model group,and acupotomy group,with 10 rats in each group.A rat model of non-compressive nucleus pulposus protrusion was induced.A thermal pain tester was used to measure the hindpaw withdrawal latency(HWL)of each rat before and after the model was induced.On the 8th day after the model was induced,double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine serum IL-1and IL-6levels in each group.Results Compared with the normal group and sham-operation group,the model group had a significantly increased difference value of HWL(P0.01);compared with the model group,the acupotomy group had a significantly reduced difference value of HWL(P0.01).Compared with the normal group,the model group had significantly increased serum IL-1and IL-6levels(P0.01);compared with the model group,the acupotomy group had significantly reduced serum IL-1and IL-6levels(P0.01).Compared with the model group,the acupotomy group had ameliorated pathological changes in the myelin sheath,axon,and Schwann cells.Conclusion The mechanism by which acupotomy relieves radicular pain due to lumbar disc herniation may involve reducing serum IL-1and IL-6levels.