Effects of herbal cake-separated moxibustion on regulating contents of plasma endothelin and nitrogen monoxide in rabbits with hyperlipemia

Jing SHEN; Xiaorong CHANG; Jie YAN; Zenghui YUE; Xiangping CAO; Yaping LIN; Shouxiang YI

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:

Endothelin and nitrogen monoxide (NO) which are regarded as a pair of factors to maintain equilibrium between vascular stress and hemodynamics have different responses during various diseases. It is the key point for the treatment of atherosclerosis to find out the effect and pathophysiological mechanism of hyperlipemia on endothelial cells, and seek the methods and drugs for protecting vascular endothelin.

OBJECTIVE:

To observe the effect of herbal cake-separated moxibustion on contents of plasma endothelin and NO and analyze its regulative mechanism.

DESIGN:

Randomized controlled animal study.

SETTING:

College of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.MATERIALS A total of 60 healthy New Zealand white rabbits weighing 1.5-2.5 kg of both genders were selected in this study. Herbal cake was made of danshen, shanzha, yujin, dahuang and zexie, which were crushed into powder according to a certain ratio. Then, vinegar was added to make paste which was 5-8 mm in diameter and 2-3 mm in depth. Moxa cone(Shenjiu 300) was provided by Suzhou Dongfang Airong Factory (typeDongfang I; batch number 20021212).

METHODS:

The experiment was carried out in the Experimental Animal Center of Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine between November 2003 and October 2004. All rabbits were randomly divided into 4 groups blank control group, hyperlipemia model group, direct moxibustion group and herbal cake-separated moxibustion group with 15 in each group. Except blank control group, rabbits in other three groups were fed with high fat forage to establish hyperlipemia models. Two groups of acupoints were acupunctured alternatively Group Ⅰ Juque (CV14), Tianshu (ST25) at bilateral sides, and Fenglong (ST 40) at bilateral sides; Group ⅡXinshu(BL15),Ganshu(BL18) and Pishu(BL20), at bilateral sides respectively.On the first day, moxa cone was directly adherent to acupoints of rabbits in direct moxibustion group and lighten for acupuncture, but in herbal cakeseparated moxibustion group, moxa cone which was gotten rid of the carriage was adherent to herbal cake which was put on acupoints and lighted for acupuncture. Each acupoint was acupunctured for 4 successive dosages for once a day. On the next day, the other group of acupoints was acupunctured.The course was 40 days. Rabbits in other two groups were not treated with any ways. On the 41st day, contents of plasma endothelin and NO were measured in each group with radio-immunity method and nitrate-reductase reduction method, respectively.MAIN OUTCOME

MEASURES:

Contents of plasma endothelin and NO of rabbits after 40-day treatment.

RESULTS:

Five rabbits died because of diarrhoea or other reasons, including 2 in blank control group, 1 in model group, 1 in direct moxibustion group and 1 in herbal cake-separated moxibustion group. Therefore, 55 rabbits were involved in the final analysis. ① Content of plasma endothelin was lower in herbal cake-separated moxibustion group than that in model group [(431.57±63.68), (500.14±75.41) ng/L, P ＜ 0.05], but there was no significant difference between herbal cake-separated moxibustion group and direct moxibustion group [(431.57±63.68), (429.08±77.07) ng/L, P ＞ 0.05]. ② On NO content, there was an increasing tendency of model group ＜ blank group ＜ herbal cake-separated moxibustion group ＜ direct moxibustion, but there was no significant difference between any two groups [(27.17±16.55),(29.39±13.24), (30.24±20.25), (30.47±19.62) μmol/L, P ＞ 0.05].

CONCLUSION:

Effects of both two methods of moxibustion in the rabbits with hyperlipemia on content of endothelin are significant and similar, but there are no significant effects on NO content.