title: [Effects of warm moxibustion on CD40-CD40L axis in rabbits with atherosclerosis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore effects and action mechanism of warm moxibustion on regulation of blood lipids and anti-atherosclerosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-one male Japanese big-ear white rabbits were randomly divided into a blank group (10 rabbits), a model group (10 rabbits), a moxibustion group (10 rabbits) and a medication group (11 rabbits). Normal diet was applied in the blank group while high-cholesterol diet combined with injection of bovine serum albumin were applied in the rest groups to establish rabbit model of atherosclerosis. After establishment, the model group was not intervened and warm moxibustion was applied in the moxibustion group at "Zusan-li" (ST 36) and "Shenque" (CV 8), 10 min per acupoint per day for continuous 4 weeks. The medication group was treated with intragastric administration of lovastatin capsule (3.6 mg/kg) for continuous 4 weeks. The level of blood lipids, such as total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and content of CD40 ligand (CD40L), soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) and expression of nuclear factor NF-kappaB were tested after 4 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the model group, the moxibustion group and medication group could effectively reduce the contents of TC and low density lipoprotein (all P < 0.05), lower the level of sCD40L [(8.310 +/- 1.221) ng/mL in the model group, (7.097 +/- 0.846) ng/mL in the moxibustion group and (7.354 +/- 0.631) ng/mL in the medication group], reduce expression of CD40L [(0.235 +/- 0.179) mm2 in the model group, (0.072 +/- 0.079) mm2 in the moxibustion group and (0.039 +/- 0.015) mm2 in the medication group] and NF-kappaB [(0.145 +/- 0.052)mm2 in the model group, (0.052 +/- 0.012) mm2 in the moxibustion group and (0.036 +/- 0.013) mm2 in the medication group], indicating the significant difference (P < 0.05, P < 0.001). There was no statistical difference between the moxibustion group and medication group (all P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The warm moxibustion has great effect on regulation of blood lipids and anti-atherosclerosis, in which lowering expression of CD40-CD40L could be one of possible mechanisms to take effect of anti-atherosclerosis.
authors.forename: Hai-Hong
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Ling-Ling
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jin-Feng
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy*; D019013:CD40 Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D023201:CD40 Ligand / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009071:Moxibustion / Q000379:methods*; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D019013:CD40 Antigens; D008055:Lipids; D023201:CD40 Ligand