Abstract: Objective　To investigate the effect of mild moxibustion on the expression of TRPV1 in the dorsal root ganglion in a mouse model of pruritus ani.Methods　This study was carried out from December 2016 to December 2017.Forty SPF C57BL/6J mice were selected and equally randomized into four groups：blank group，model group，treatment groupⅠ and treatment group Ⅱ.After 1-week adaptive feeding，the hair in perianal region was shorn for all mice，and mice in model group，treatment group Ⅰ and Ⅱ were injected capsaicin（50 mg/kg） subcutaneously into the perianal region to establish the model，while those in the blank group were injected the same dose of 0.9% sodium chloride solution.After successful modeling，mice in treatment group Ⅰ were treated with mild moxibustion applied to areas（45±5） mm away from changqiang acupoint and shenque acupoint after shearing of the hair，for 10 min（skin temperature was kept at 38℃measured by a mercury thermometer），once daily，and those in treatment groupⅡ were treated with mild moxibustion applied to areas（35±5） mm away from changqiang acupoint and shenque acupoint after shearing of the hair，for 10 min（skin temperature was kept at 46 ℃ measured by a mercury thermometer），once daily，whereas those in other two groups were caught and fixed once daily but given no other treatments.After 1-week intervention，all the mice were scarified and dorsal root ganglia were taken out，and the expression levels of TRPV1 protein and TRPV1 mRNA in the dorsal root ganglia were measured by Western blotting and qPCR，respectively.Results　Mice in the model group demonstrated much higher expression levels of TRPV1 and TRPV1 mRNA in the dorsal root ganglion compared with those in the other three groups（P<0.05）．Compared with mice in treatment groupⅠ，those in treatment group Ⅱ showed much lower expression levels of TRPV1 and TRPV1 mRNA in the dorsal root ganglion（P<0.05）．Conclusion　Mild moxibustion could inhibit the expression level of TRPV1 in the dorsal root ganglion in a mouse model of pruritus ani，in particular，moxibustion with a skin temperature maintained at 46 ℃ showed stronger inhibition effect compared with that with a skin temperature maintained at 38 ℃.

Key words: Pruritus ani, Moxibustion, Mice

摘要： 目的　观察温和灸对肛门瘙痒模型小鼠背根节TRPV1表达的影响。方法　2016年12月—2017年12月选取SPF级C57BL/6J小鼠40只，随机分为空白组、模型组、治疗组Ⅰ（38 ℃艾灸）和治疗组Ⅱ（46 ℃艾灸），每组10只。适应性喂养1周后，肛周皮肤剪毛，模型组、治疗组Ⅰ和治疗组Ⅱ分别于肛周皮下注射辣椒素
（50 mg/kg）造模，空白组注射相同剂量的0.9%氯化钠溶液。造模成功后，治疗组Ⅰ和治疗组Ⅱ选取小鼠“长强穴”“神阙穴”去毛后行艾灸治疗，根据水银温度计测量艾灸温度，治疗组Ⅰ于距离长强穴、神阙穴（45±5）mm处艾灸10 min，1次/d；治疗组Ⅱ于距离长强穴、神阙穴（35±5）mm处艾灸10 min，1次/d。空白组与模型组小鼠每日陪同抓取和固定，无任何治疗。治疗时间为1周。治疗1周后取各组小鼠背根节，Western blotting法检测小鼠背根节TRPV1表达水平，实时荧光定量PCR法检测小鼠背根节TRPV1 mRNA表达水平。结果　模型组小鼠背根节TRPV1、TRPV1 mRNA表达水平高于空白组（P<0.05）；治疗组Ⅰ、治疗组Ⅱ小鼠背根节TRPV1、TRPV1 mRNA表达水平低于模型组（P<0.05）；治疗组Ⅱ小鼠背根节TRPV1、TRPV1 mRNA表达水平低于治疗组Ⅰ（P<0.05）。结论　温和灸对肛门瘙痒模型小鼠背根节TRPV1的表达具有抑制作用，且46 ℃艾灸较38 ℃艾灸对小鼠背根节TRPV1表达的抑制作用更强。

关键词: 肛门瘙痒症, 灸法, 小鼠