Effects of Mo-Rubbing abdomen manipulation on glucose metabolism and inflammatory factors in rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Objective To observe the effect of Mo-Rubbing abdomen manipulation on glucose metabolism and inflammatory factors in rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a normal group (n=10) and a group for modeling (n=50) using the random number table method. Rats in the group for modeling were induced to form T2DM models by a high-sugar and high-fat diet combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. Thirty successfully modeled rats were randomly divided into a model group, a Mo-Rubbing abdomen group, and a metformin group, with 10 rats in each group. Rats in the normal group and the model group received no intervention, those in the Mo-Rubbing abdomen group received Mo-Rubbing abdomen manipulation, and those in the metformin group received metformin by gavage. After 8-week intervention, fasting insulin (FINS), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and area under the curve at the oral glucose tolerance test (AUC-OGTT), as well as serum inflammatory factors interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha were detected, and the morphological changes of the pancreas were also observed. Results After the 8-week intervention, the levels of FINS, FPG, HOMA-IR, and AUC-OGTT of rats in the Mo-Rubbing abdomen group were significantly lower than those in the model group (P<0.05); the pancreatic injury degree in the Mo-Rubbing abdomen group and the metformin group was lower than that in the model group. Compared with the model group, the serum IL-1 beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha levels of rats in the Mo-Rubbing abdomen group were significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the serum IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha levels of the metformin group showed a downward trend; the serum IL-6 and TNF-alpha levels in the Mo-Rubbing abdomen group were significantly lower than those in the metformin group (P<0.01). There was a significant positive correlation between FPG with IL-1 beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha in the T2DM rats (P<0.01). Conclusion Mo-Rubbing abdomen manipulation reduces the inflammatory response and improves the morphological changes of the pancreas in T2DM rats, thereby achieving the effect of lowering blood glucose.