[Effect of moxibustion on the inflammatory reactions of adjuvant arthritics rats].

Adjuvant arthritic (AA) rats were used as the experimental model and the thickness of pedal pad, the circumference and the pathological (light microscopic changes of the ankle joint as well as the plasma content of middle sized molecules (MSM) were studied before and at subsequent experimental days after moxibustion (once a day for 6 days, on Shenque acupoint). The results showed that moxibustion reduced the inflammatory reactions significantly in comparison with that of the control group.