Effect of acupuncture plus thunder-fire moxibustion on MMP-3, TIMP-1 and TGF-β1 in rats with knee osteoarthritis

Objective To observe the effect of acupuncture plus thunder-fire moxibustion on the expressions of matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in cartilage of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) rats, and to explore the mechanism of acupuncture plus thunder-fire moxibustion in the treatment of KOA. Methods Thirty Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into a blank control group, a model group and an acupuncture-moxibustion group by random digits table, 10 rats in each group. Rats in the model group and the acupuncture-moxibustion group were injected with papain in the right posterior knee joint to prepare the models. The levels of MMP-3 and TIMP-1 in rat synovium of each group were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) after 2 weeks of treatment. The level of TGF-β1 was determined by Motic B5 Micro-camera system. Results The levels of MMP-3 and TIMP-1 in the cartilage of the model group were significantly higher than those in the blank control group (all P <0.01); the levels of MMP-3 and TIMP-1 in the acupuncture-moxibustion group were lower than those in the model group, and the between-group differences were statistically significant (all P <0.05). The levels of MMP-3 and TIMP-1 in the acupuncture-moxibustion group were higher than those in the blank control group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P <0.05). The level of TGF-β1 in cartilage tissues of the model group was significantly lower than that in the blank control group ( P <0.01); the level of TGF-β1 in the acupuncture-moxibustion group was higher than that in the model group ( P <0.05), but it was lower than that in the blank control group, and the between-group difference was statistically significant ( P <0.05). Conclusion Acupuncture plus thunder-fire moxibustion can effectively recover the abnormal expressions of MMP-3 and TIMP-1 in KOA model rats and somewhat up-regulate TGF-β1, which may be one of its mechanisms of acupuncture plus thunder-fire for KOA.