title: [Effects of moxibustion on the expression of cell cycle protein P 16 and retinoblastoma and c-fos in the cerebral cortex of senile mice].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the influence of moxibustion on the cyclin and cellular proliferin of the cerebral cortex in senile mice so as to explore its underlying mechanism in delaying aging.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty male mice were randomly and equally divided into control, model, moxibustion of "Zusanli" (ST 36) and "Xuanzhong" (GB 39, M-ST 36-GB 39), moxibustion of "Baihui" (GV 20) and "Guanyuan" (CV 4,M-GV 20-COV 4) ,and medication groups. The aging model was established by subcutaneous injection of D-galactose for 42 days. Moxibustion was applied to ST 36, GB 39, GV 20 and CV 4 separately for 3 moxa-cones, once every other day for one month. The expression of cell cycle protein P 16 and retinoblastoma (pRb), and c-fos protein in the cerebral cortex tissue of the senile mice were detected by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with control group, the number of P16 immunoreaction (IR) positive neurons in the cerebral cortex increased significantly in the model group (P < 0.01), and those of cortical pRb and c-fos IR-positive neurons decreased considerably in model group (P < 0.01). In comparison with the model group, the number of cortical P 16 IR-positive neurons reduced significantly in M-ST 36-GB 39, M-GV 20-CV 4 and medication groups (P < 0.01), and those of cortical pRb and c-fos IR-positive neurons increased remarkably in M-ST 36-GB 39, M-GV 20-CV 4 and medication groups (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in the aforementioned 3 indexes among M-ST 36-GB 39, M-GV 20-CV 4 and medication groups (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Moxibustion of ST 36-GB 39 and GV 20-CV 4 can down-regulate the P 16 expression,and up-regulate pRb and c-fos protein expression in the cerebral cortex of senile mice, which possibly contributes to its effect in delaying aging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Acu-moxibustion, the Affiliated Ruikang Hospital of Guangxi College of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530011, China. gxduyan@163.com
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Li-Hua
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Hai-Biao
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jin-Sheng
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005690:Galactose / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009071:Moxibustion; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019941:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein; D005690:Galactose