Abstract：Objective To explore the effects of warming moxibustion on behavioristics and cell morphology in pruritus mice.Methods Forty C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group,model group,treatment group I and treatment group II.Mice were injected subcutaneously with vanilloid on the back to establish itch model.Treatment group I and group II were given moxibustion treatment at Changqiang (GV1) and Shenque (CV8).After one week treatment,histamine was injected into the cheek to observe the itching behavior,and the skin of cheek and crissum was observed under the transmission electron microscope to explore the effects of moxibustion on cell morphology.Results Scratching behavior and the number of vacuole in the perianal cells among four groups were significantly different.Scratching behavior reduced in the treatment group I (9.4±1.7) and treatment group II (8.3±1.2) compared with the model group (11.6±2.3).The number of vacuole were also reduced in the treatment group I (17.33±5.51) and treatment group II (5.67±2.08) compared with the model group (30.00±9.17).In treatment group I and II,the number of vacuole in the perianal cells significantly reduced compared with cells in the skin of cheek.Conclusion Warming moxibustion has a potent depressant effect on histamine-induced scratching behavior and the decrease number of vacuole may be one of the mechanisms.
