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Analgesic Effects of Two Types of Spinal Manipulation in Acute Lumbar Radiculopathy Model Rats

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Abstract

Objective

To compare the analgesic effects of two types of spinal manipulation (SM) in acute lumbar radiculopathy (ALR) model rats induced by self-transplantation of autologous nucleus pulposus (ANP), and clarify the therapeutic mechanism.

Methods

Totally 108 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 6 groups by a random number table (18 rats in each group), including a blank group with no interference, a sham operation group with a surgery by making a local soft tissue incision on the left side of L5–6 vertebral segment, a model group with ALR of L5 extraforaminal nerve by ANP self-transplantation without other interference, a sham manipulation (SMA) group with simulating physical rotation, as well as a mobilization (MOB) group with simulating low-velocity and variable-amplitude rotation and a manipulation (MAN) group with simulating high-velocity and low-amplitude rotation. The interventions in SMA, MOB, and MAN groups started 1 day after modeling followed by another 5 treatments at days 3, 5, 8, 10 and 12. Rats in the other 3 groups did not receive any special intervention. Behavioral pain tests of 50% mechanical pain withdrawal threshold (50% PWT) and paw withdrawal latency (PWL) were conducted 1 day before operation followed by another 10 tests on days 1–7, 10, 12 and 14. Immunohistochemical expression of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) was investigated on days 5 and 12 after operation.

Results

After 3 experimental SM interventions, 50% PWT and PWL were higher in the MAN group than the SMA group on days 6 and 7, and higher on days 10, 12 and 14 postoperatively (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while the same indices were significantly higher in the MOB group than MAN group on days 1–4 (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The expression of NOS was lower in the MAN and MOB groups than SMA group on day 12 postoperatively (P<0.01).

Conclusions

Both manipulation and mobilization produced better results than sham interference in relieving pain by reducing neuroinflammation possibly. At the early period, compared with manipulation, mobilization presented less sensitive response to pain until later visit. SM may inhibit the overexpression of NOS, thereby alleviating severe radiculopathy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Spine Center of Manipulative Orthopedics, Air Force Medical Center, Beijing, 100142, China

    Lei Han, Ping Zhao, Jie Wei, Fei Wang, Yi Li & Guang-jin Guo

  2. Department of Bone and Joint Imaging Diagnosis, Wangjing Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100102, China

    Xue Han

Authors
  1. Lei Han
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  2. Ping Zhao
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  3. Xue Han
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  4. Jie Wei
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  5. Fei Wang
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  6. Yi Li
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  7. Guang-jin Guo
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Contributions

Han L and Zhao P designed the study; Han L, Wei J, Wang F and Li Y performed the experiments and wrote the manuscript; Han X and Han L completed the modeling and collected the data; Guo GJ analyzed the data; Zhao P revised the manuscript. All authors read and agreed the final version for publication.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ping Zhao.

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Conflict of Interest

All the authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this paper.

Supported by Youth Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81503602)

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Han, L., Zhao, P., Han, X. et al. Analgesic Effects of Two Types of Spinal Manipulation in Acute Lumbar Radiculopathy Model Rats. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 28, 518–523 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-021-3276-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-021-3276-y

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