Effects of Wet Cupping on Blood Components Specially Skin-Related Parameters of Healthy Cases: A Case Control Metabonomic Study

Background: Wet cupping therapy has been used in many ancient societies for thousands of years yet there are few systematic studies and clinical researches in this field. This technique can be used for several skin disorders, including hair loss, hirsutism, acne, urticaria, psoriasis, and herpes zoster. A metabonomic study with mass spectrometry was used for the first time to evaluate the difference between wet cupping blood and venous blood. Methods: The metabolites of the wet cupping blood and venous blood were compared in 20 healthy individuals using a metabonomics technique. Results: Using various modeling techniques, such as OSC-PLS, 17 differentiating metabolites were detected and identified by the Human Metabolome Database and 16 differentiating pathways were recognized with Metaboanalyst between the 2 kinds of blood, including cholesterol, cortisone, aldosterone, primary bile acids, L-arginine, taurine, hypotaurine, D-glucose, and pyridoxamine. Conclusions: Cupping blood and venous blood seemed to differ greatly in terms of metabolites and 16 differentiating metabolite pathways. This technique can be used for several skin disorders, including hair loss, hirsutism, acne, urticaria, psoriasis, and herpes zoster.