Mild moxibustion at different intervention times on the levels of ET-1 and NO in the uterine tissues of rats with cold-damp coagulation and stagnation type dysmenorrhea

Abstract Objective To observe the differences in analgesic effect of moxibustion at different intervention times on dysmenorrhea rats and explore its effect mechanism. Methods Forty-five female Wistar rats were randomly divided into blank control group (group A), model group (group B), pre-moxibustion group (group C), instant moxibustion group (group D) and pre-instant moxibustion group (group E), with 9 rats in each group. Cold-damp coagulation and stagnation type dysmenorrhea models were established. In group C, mild moxibustion on “Shenque (神阙 CV 8) ” and “Guānyuan (关元 CV 4)” was carried out from the time after modeling on the 8th day for 3 consecutive days. In group D, mild moxibustion was given as the same methods with group C after injection with oxytocin on the 11th day. In group E, mild moxibustion was given as the same methods from the time after modeling on the 8th day to that after injection with oxytocin on the 11th day for 4 consecutive days. The writhing behavior and the changes in levels of ET-1 and NO in uterine tissues of rats with dysmenorrhea in each group were observed. Results Comparison of the latent period: compared with (4.38 ± 1.06) min in group B, the latent period of rats in group C (9.67 ± 1.32) min, group D (11.78 ± 1.30) min and group E (15.00 ± 1.22) min obviously prolonged (all p p p p p p p p p P p p p p p p p p p Conclusion The analgesic effect of mild moxibustion at different intervention times on cold-damp coagulation and stagnation type dysmenorrhea rats was different, which was the most significant in pre-instant moxibustion group. One of the mechanisms of action may be related with the adjustment of abnormal levels of ET-1 and NO.