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Objective: To observe the effects of moxibustion on colonic inflammation, and the expressions of ubiquitin and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (Nod)-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) proteins in rats with ulcerative colitis (UC), and to explore the anti-inflammatory mechanism of moxibustion in the UC treatment. Methods: Clean grade male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into a normal group (NG), a model group (MG), a moxa-stick moxibustion group (MSMG) and a Western medicine group (WMG). UC model was prepared by freely drinking 35 g/L dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) solution. Bilateral Tianshu (ST 25) were selected for mild moxibustion treatment in the MSMG; mesalazine solution was intragastrically administrated in the WMG. Rats in the NG and MG were only grasped and fixed as in the MSMG without any treatment. After treatment, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was performed to observe and score the colonic pathological damage under light microscope; immunofluorescence method was used to determine the expression of colonic ubiquitin protein; immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expressions of colonic interleukin (IL)-1β and NLRP3 proteins. Results: The colon tissue was severely injured, and the pathological score was significantly increased in the MG than in the NG (P<0.01), and the protein expressions of ubiquitin, NLRP3 and IL-1β in the colon were significantly increased (all P<0.01). Compared with the MG, the colonic damage was repaired, the inflammation and pathological scores were reduced, and the ubiquitin, NLRP3 and IL-1β protein expressions were decreased in the MSMG and WMG (all P<0.01). Correlation analysis revealed that the ubiquitin protein expression was correlated with the colonic pathological score and the NLRP3 protein expression (r=0.677, P<0.01; r=0.536, P<0.05). Conclusion: Moxibustion can down-regulate the protein expressions of ubiquitin, NLRP3 and IL-1β in the colon of UC rats, which may be one of the mechanisms to promote the repair of colonic inflammatory lesions and exert anti-inflammatory effects.
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Objective To explore the action mechanism of moxibustion in treating Crohn's disease (CD) by observing the effect of herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion on the expression of NLRP3 inflammasome (NLRP3, ASC and Caspase-1) and IL-1β. Method Male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats of clean conventional grade were randomized into a normal control group (NG), a model control group (MG), a herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion control group (MoxG), and a sham moxibustion control group (SMG). The CD rat models were developed by using the mixture of 2, 4, 6-trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) and alcohol via enema. When the models were successfully developed, the MoxG received moxibustion intervention at bilateral Tianshu (ST25) and Qihai (CV6), and the SMG were administered by unlighted moxa cones. At the end of treatment, the length of each rats' colon and the colon macroscopic damage index (CMDI) score were recorded, the histopathological variations of rats' colons were observed by adopting HE staining and light microscope, and the expressions of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1 and IL-1β in rats' colons were determined by using immunohistochemical technique. Result Compared to the NG, the MG had its rats' colons present with severe damages, fissured ulcers and inflammatory cell infiltration with edema, and granulomas in submucosa of some colons, and its expressions of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1 and IL-1β increased significantly (P<0.05);compared to the MG, the MoxG had rats' colons present with improved structures and reduced intestinal inflammation, and its expressions of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1 and IL-1β dropped significantly (P<0.05); the SMG had its rats' colon inflammation present similarly to the MG, and its expressions of NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1 and IL-1β had no significant difference (P>0.05). Conclusion Herbal Cake-partitioned moxibustion can down-regulate the expressions of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1 and IL-1β in CD rats' colons to promote the repair of colon damage.
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Objective:To observe the effect of moxibustion on the protein and mRNA expressions of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)and corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 (CRFR1) in hypothalamus of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced experimental colitis rats,and to explore the central mechanisms of moxibustion in improving visceral pain and the pain-related emotions in experimental colitis rats.Methods:Thirty-six Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into a normal group (NG),a model group (MG),a herb-partitioned moxibustion group (HPMG) and a sham herb-partitioned moxibustion group (SHPMG).Except the NG,rats in the remaining three groups all received TNBS enema to establish experimental colitis models.The HPMG received herb-partitioned moxibustion (HPM) at bilateral Tianshu (ST 25) and Qihai (CV 6) for intervention;for the SHPMG,the herbal cakes and moxa cones were only placed on the acupoints but not ignited;rats in the MG and NG were only fixed in the same way as those in the HPMG but did not receive any treatment.At the end of the intervention,the abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) score,the open field test (OFT) score and the elevated plus maze (EPM) score were observed to measure the changes in visceral pain and pain-related emotions of the rats.The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to examine the expressions of CRF and CRFR1 proteins in hypothalamus;the fluorescence-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect the expressions of CRF and CRFR1 mRNAs in hypothalamus.Results:Compared with the NG,the AWR score increased significantly and the OFT and EPM scores dropped significantly in the MG (all P＜0.05),and the expressions of hypothalamic CRF and CRFR1 proteins and mRNAs increased significantly (all P＜0.01).Compared with the MG and SHPMG,the AWR score dropped significantly and the OFT and EPM scores increased significantly in the HPMG (all P＜0.01),and the expressions of hypothalamic CRF and CRFR1 proteins and mRNAs decreased significantly (all P＜0.05).There were no significant differences between the MG and the SHPMG (all P＞0.05).Conclusion:HPM can down-regulate the abnormally increased expressions of CRF and CRFR1 proteins and mRNAs in hypothalamus of the TNBS-induced experimental colitis rats,which is plausibly one of its action mechanisms in mitigating visceral pain and the pain-related emotions in the experimental colitis rats.
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Objective To review year 1954-2016 literature on acupuncture treatment of ophthalmologic and otorhinolaryngologic diseases and objectively reflect modern acupuncture-treated ophthalmologic and otorhino- laryngologic disease spectrum by literature metrology and evaluation to give full play to the advantage of acupuncture medicine.Method A statistical analysis was made by a method of metrological analysis according to the data from "China acupuncture-moxibustion information databank".Results and Conclusion The number of documents on acupuncture treatment of ophthalmologic and otorhinolaryngologic diseases increased gradually. The proportion of clinical research literature to the annual total literature also increased gradually. Acupuncture-treated ophthalmologic and otorhinolaryngologic disease spectrum had 85 kinds of diseases. From multi-angle data analysis, the ophthalmologic and otorhinolaryngologic diseases against which acupuncture is effective were allergic rhinitis, deafness, myopia and tinnitus. Acupuncture is worthy to be popularized and applied to clinical treatment of ophthalmologic and otorhinolaryngologic diseases. Acupuncture-treated ophthalmologic and otorhinolaryngologic disease spectrum is still in a primary stage and needs further study and evaluation.