title: [Effects of mild moxibustion on angiogenesis and microcirculation in wound repair after operation of anal fistula in rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effects of mild moxibustion on angiogenesis and microcirculation in wound repair after operation of anal fistula, and to explore the mechanism of action.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-two SD male rats were made to bear an "acute, open, bleeding, infected" wound surface and were divided randomly into mild moxibustion group, microwave group and control group (24 rats per group). The wound surfaces of the treatment groups were treated for 15 min with mild moxibustion or microwave medical instrument from the first day after operation, and the control group was not given any treatment. At the first, third, seventh and fourteenth days after operation (1, 3, 7 and 14 days of treatment), six rats in each group were sacrificed after examining the blood flow of the wound surface, and the samples of granulation tissues were collected. The numbers of CD34 and positive expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in granulation tissues were detected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the early and middle stages of wound healing, mild moxibustion could obviously increase the expression of VEGF, the number of CD34, and the blood flow of the wound surface. And the expression of VEGF, the number of CD34, and the blood flow of the wound surface began to increase at the third day, and reached the peak level at the seventh day, and then began to decrease. In the late stage of wound healing (day 14), mild moxibustion could decrease the expression of VEGF, the number of CD34, and decrease the blood flow of the wound surface. There were significant differences between the mild moxibustion group and the control group in the blood flow of the wound surface, the expression of VEGF and the numbers of CD34 in granulation tissues (P<0.05) after treatment, and except the number of CD34 at 14-day treatment, there were also differences between the mild moxibustion group and the microwave group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mild moxibustion has better regulative actions on blood flow of the wound surface and the number of CD34 and positive expression of VEGF in granulation tissues, and can regulate microcirculation in wound surface and promote the wound healing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anorectal Surgery, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China. guoxiutian@126.com
authors.forename: Xiu-tian
authors.initials: XT
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Qing-jun
authors.initials: QJ
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Yong-qing
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006097:Granulation Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D009071:Moxibustion; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012003:Rectal Fistula / Q000628:therapy*; D014945:Wound Healing