Effect of acupuncture on inflammatory cytokines expression of spastic cerebral palsy rats

Objective: To To investigate the effect of acupuncture on the tumor necrosis factor a (TNF-alpha), interleukin -6 (IL-6), C reactive protein (CRP), nitric oxide synthase (NOS) content and muscular tension of spasticity cerebral palsy rat model. Methods: The rats with spastic cerebral palsy were randomly divided into the control group, model group and acupuncture group. After successful modeling, the muscular tension and the content of TNF-alpha , IL-6, CRP, NOS were measured. Results: The serum TNF-alpha, IL-6, CRP, NOS content were significantly decreased in the acupuncture group (P < 0.05). The low and high shear viscosity of whole blood of the acupuncture group were significantly lower than the control group and the model group (P < 0.05). The erythrocyte electrophoresis indexes in the acupuncture group were significantly lower than that in the model group and the control group (p < 0.05). Acupuncture significantly reduced the muscular tension of spastic cerebral palsy rat anti increased the active extent in the paralytic extremity (P < 0.05), but it could not be restored to normal level. Compared with the control group, the difference had significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Acupuncture treatment can inhibit the release of inflammatory cells after brain injury, then reduce immune injury, relieve muscle spasms and reduce muscular tension.