Effect of electroacupuncture on c-IAP1 mRNA and c-IAP2 mRNA in synovial tissues of rats with adjuvant arthritis

Objective To observe the therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture (EA) at Zusanli (ST 36), Guanyuan (CV 4) and Ashi points on adjuvant arthritis rats, and explore the mechanism of EA treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods Sixty male rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, a methotrexate group and an EA group, with 15 rats in each group. Rats in the normal group and the model group were routinely raised and did not receive treatment; rats in the methotrexate group received methotrexate at a dose of 0.35 mg/(kg·bw), twice a week for 3 weeks; rats in the EA group received acupuncture at Zusanli (ST 36), Guanyuan (CV 4) and Ashi points, and the bilateral Zusanli (ST 36) and Ashi points were connected to EA apparatus, once a day for 3 weeks. The general status, the swelling degree of the toe, the arthritis index (AI) score, the pathological morphology of the ankle joint, and the mRNA expressions of cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein (c-IAP) 1 and c-IAP2 in joint synovial tissue cells of the rats in each group were observed. Results The swelling degree of the toe, AI score and mRNA expressions of c-IAP1 and c-IAP2 in the model group were significantly higher than those in the normal group (all P