The study was to determine the effect of damage to noradrenergic nerves in hippocampus on the action of anti-inflammatory and immune regulation of moxibustion

thus to probe into the mechanism of moxibustion in central regulation.Models of adjuvant arthritis(AA) in rats were made

and microinjection of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) into hippocampus was given

and then changes in vola circumference

index of thymus and spleen

IL-6

IL-2 after moxibustion were observed. Results show that moxibustion group present obvious effects of anti-inflammatory and immune regulation(P<0.01 comparing with control group)

and the effects were partly blocked by the damage to noradrenergic nerves in hippocampus (P>0.05).It indicates that hippocampus may be an important portion relating to the central information integration of moxibustion treatment

and hippocampus-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical(HPA) system may be a neurohumoral route in the action of anti-inflammatory and immune regulation of moxibustion.