Promotion and Mechanism of Acupotomy on Chondrocyte Autophagy in Knee Osteoarthritis Rabbits.

Objective: To explore the effect of acupotomy intervention on autophagy of chondrocytes in rabbits with knee osteoarthritis (KOA), and to determine the possible mechanisms of acupotomy to alleviate cartilage degeneration.

Methods: The modified Videman method was used to construct a KOA rabbit model. After modeling, 40 rabbits were randomly divided into 4 groups by a random number table: control; KOA (model); KOA + acupotomy (acupotomy), and KOA + sham acupotomy (sham), 10 in each group.

[Effect of acupotomy on mitophagy mediated by PINK1/Parkin pathway in cartilage of rabbits with knee osteoarthritis].

Objective: To observe the effect of acupotomy on mitophagy mediated by PINK1/Parkin pathway in cartilage of rabbits with knee osteoarthritis (KOA), so as to explore its mechanism in inhibiting cartilage damage.

Methods: Twenty-one New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into normal, model, and acupotomy groups, with 7 rabbits in each group. The KOA rabbit model was established by using the Videman method.

Mechanism of Action of Acupotomy in Inhibiting Chondrocyte Apoptosis in Rabbits with KOA through the PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway.

Objective: We examined the effects of acupotomy on the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to elucidate the mechanism of action of acupotomy on articular chondrocyte apoptosis among rabbits with knee osteoarthritis (KOA).

Methods: New Zealand rabbits were randomly assigned to a healthy control group, placebo group, acupotomy group, and drug group, with 10 rabbits in each group. Changes in chondrocytes were examined by hematoxylin and eosin staining, and articular chondrocyte apoptosis was measured by electron microscopy and immunofluorescence.