title: Down-regulation of protein and mRNA expression of IL-8 and ICAM-1 in colon tissue of ulcerative colitis patients by partition-herb moxibustion.
abstract: Our previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of partition-herb moxibustion on ulcerative colitis (UC) rats. However, the mechanism of actions of partition-herb moxibustion is still unclear. Most Chinese acupuncturists believe that partition-herb improves the effect of moxibustion therapy. However, this argument lacks confirming experimental and clinical evidence. So, whether partition-herb does play a role in the mechanism of actions of partition-herb moxibustion was reported in this paper. A total of 123 patients were randomly divided into the partition-herb moxibustion group and the control group (partition-bran moxibustion group). Fourteen patients dropped out of the study. Finally, 109 patients finished the intervention. Sixty-one patients with UC received partition-herb moxibustion and 48 patients with UC received partition-bran moxibustion for 72 treatments, one treatment per day, every 12 treatments with an interval of 3 days. The expressions of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in the colonic mucosa tissue in mild patients with UC were assayed by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. Histology of the colon also was observed at entry and after 72 treatments. Clinical therapeutic effect in partition-herb moxibustion was significantly better than those in partition-bran moxibustion (P < 0.05). Protein and mRNA expression of IL-8, ICAM-1 in the patients was inhibited by both partition-herb moxibustion and partition-bran moxibustion, of those the inhibition in the partition-herb moxibustion group was more obvious (P < 0.01). Partition-herb moxibustion was shown to significantly improve the histology of the colon, and partition-herb was shown to improve the therapeutic effect of moxibustion on treatment of UC patients.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Institute of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Meridians, Shanghai 200030, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: En-Hua
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Hui-Rong
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Huan-Gan
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Da-Ren
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003106:Colon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009071:Moxibustion / Q000379:methods; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012812:Sigmoidoscopy
chemical_list: D016209:Interleukin-8; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1