Research on Roles of Mongolian Medical Warm Acupuncture in Inhibiting p38 MAPK Activation and Apoptosis of Nucleus Pulposus Cells

<div>Phosphorylation level of p38 MAPK in the nucleus pulposus cells and effect of acupuncture on substrate metabolism of the rat intervertebral disc. (a) The phosphorylation level of p38 MAPK decreased following administration of analgesic decoction. (b/c) The expression of the Type II collagen, aggrecan, Sox-9, and TIMP-1 in the nucleus pulposus cells in the model group significantly decreased when compared with that in the control group. The expression of MMP-3 increased significantly when compared with that in the control group. # (##) indicates P&lt;0.05 (P&lt;0.01) when compared with the control group; <svg height="11.5564pt" id="M4" style="vertical-align:-2.26807pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -9.28833 32.1082 11.5564" width="32.1082pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M471 153C471 170 463 194 452 212C400 220 373 229 322 255C373 281 400 290 452 298C463 316 471 339 471 357C456 366 431 371 410 370C377 329 356 310 308 279C311 336 317 364 336 413C326 432 310 451 294 459C279 451 262 432 252 413C271 364 277 336 280 279C232 310 211 329 178 370C157 371 132 367 117 357C117 340 125 316 136 298C188 290 215 281 266 255C215 229 188 220 136 212C125 194 117 171 117 153C132 144 157 139 178 140C211 181 232 200 280 231C277 174 271 146 252 97C262 78 278 59 294 51C309 59 326 78 336 97C317 146 311 174 308 231C356 200 377 181 410 140C431 139 456 143 471 153Z" id="g113-43"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,7.631,0)"><path d="M300 -147C201 -63 143 98 143 270S200 602 300 686L282 710C136 610 70 450 70 271V270C70 89 136 -72 282 -170L300 -147Z" id="g113-41"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,12.129,0)"><path d="M471 153C471 170 463 194 452 212C400 220 373 229 322 255C373 281 400 290 452 298C463 316 471 339 471 357C456 366 431 371 410 370C377 329 356 310 308 279C311 336 317 364 336 413C326 432 310 451 294 459C279 451 262 432 252 413C271 364 277 336 280 279C232 310 211 329 178 370C157 371 132 367 117 357C117 340 125 316 136 298C188 290 215 281 266 255C215 229 188 220 136 212C125 194 117 171 117 153C132 144 157 139 178 140C211 181 232 200 280 231C277 174 271 146 252 97C262 78 278 59 294 51C309 59 326 78 336 97C317 146 311 174 308 231C356 200 377 181 410 140C431 139 456 143 471 153Z" id="g113-43"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,19.76,0)"><path d="M471 153C471 170 463 194 452 212C400 220 373 229 322 255C373 281 400 290 452 298C463 316 471 339 471 357C456 366 431 371 410 370C377 329 356 310 308 279C311 336 317 364 336 413C326 432 310 451 294 459C279 451 262 432 252 413C271 364 277 336 280 279C232 310 211 329 178 370C157 371 132 367 117 357C117 340 125 316 136 298C188 290 215 281 266 255C215 229 188 220 136 212C125 194 117 171 117 153C132 144 157 139 178 140C211 181 232 200 280 231C277 174 271 146 252 97C262 78 278 59 294 51C309 59 326 78 336 97C317 146 311 174 308 231C356 200 377 181 410 140C431 139 456 143 471 153Z" id="g113-43"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,27.391,0)"><path d="M275 270C275 450 212 609 64 710L45 686C145 604 203 442 203 270S147 -63 45 -147L64 -170C213 -68 275 89 275 270Z" id="g113-42"></path></g></svg> indicates P&lt;0.05 (P&lt;0.01) when compared with the 25 mM glucose group.</div>

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

fig4

Figure 4

Figure 4: Research on Roles of Mongolian Medical Warm Acupuncture in Inhibiting p38 MAPK Activation and Apoptosis of Nucleus Pulposus Cells 