Effect of pediatric tuina on hypothalamic metabolites in young rabbits using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

To investigate the changes in the hypothalamic metabolites of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) febrile young rabbits after the treatment with pediatric tuina.

A total of 30 young rabbits were randomly assigned into three groups: the normal group, the model group, and the tuina group. Both the model group and the tuina group were injected intravenously with LPS. “Six antipyretic manipulations” (pushing Tianmen, pushing Kangong, kneading Taiyang, kneading Erhougaogu, clearing Tianheshui, and pushing Jizhu) were administered 1 h after the LPS injection in the tuina group. The rectal temperatures of the young rabbits were monitored during the experiment to explore the antipyretic effect. Three hours after the injection, the content of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) in the serum was detected. In addition, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used for the hypothalamus metabolomics.

Compared with the model group, the rectal temperature of the tuina group was decreased at 2 h and 3 h after the LPS injection (P = .04, P = .03, respectively), and the content of IL-1β, TNF-α, and PGE₂ was decreased (P = .03, P = .003, and P = .008, respectively). The metabolomics results showed that there were 23 potential biomarkers after the tuina intervention, enriching 27 pathways. Lipid metabolites, especially glycerophospholipids, were a majority of the altered metabolites. The primary metabolic pathways affected by tuina included the arachidonic acid metabolism, the GABAergic synapse, d-glutamine and d-glutamate metabolism, and the glutamatergic synapse.

Pediatric tuina reduced the temperature of the febrile rabbits and downregulated the expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, and PGE₂, and the antipyretic mechanism may be related to changes in metabolites and metabolic pathways in the hypothalamus.