Electroacupuncture and moxibustion attenuate the progression of renal disease in 5/6 nephrectomized rats.
OBJECTIVE
Chronic kidney disease is a worldwide public health problem and the prevention of its progression is still a major challenge in nephrology. Specific therapies that inhibit or attenuate this process are neither available nor satisfactory. Traditional Chinese medicine has been increasingly recognized as an effective therapeutic approach in several fields of medicine. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) and moxibustion (MO) in an experimental model of progressive renal disease in rats.


METHODS
Twenty-one male Wistar rats were submitted to 5/6th nephrectomy (NX) and assessed 8 weeks later and were divided into three groups: NX = only 5/6 NX, NX-AS = 5/6 NX and a 20-min EA-MO session in sham points, and NX-AM = 5/6 NX and a 20-min EA-MO session in three real acupuncture points. The treatment consisted of 16 sessions twice a week. Renal function, urine volume, serum creatinine, 24-hour proteinuria, direct and indirect blood pressure, glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis indices were assessed.


RESULTS
The NX-AM group showed a significant decrease in all investigated parameters when compared to the control groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that EA and MO attenuated the progression of renal disease in the experimental model of 5/6 NX.
Paterno
Josne Carla
JC
Nephrology Division, Department of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
Freire
Anaflávia Oliveira
AO
Soares
Maria Fernanda
MF
Franco
Marcello Fabiano
MF
Schor
Nestor
N
Teixeira
Vicente Paulo Castro
VP
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D009071:Moxibustion / Q000379:methods*; D009392:Nephrectomy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016896:Treatment Outcome