Effects on the tumor specific growth factor and tumor necrosis factor α in rats' precancerous lesion of primary hepatocellular carcinoma by direct moxibustion at Ganshu (BL 18) acupoint.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of direct moxibustion at Ganshu (BL18) on the serum concentrations of tumor specific growth factor (TSGF) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in a rat model with precancerous lesion of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), so as to explore the mechanism of moxibustion underlying improvement of HCC.


METHODS
Sixty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group (n=10), model group (n=20), prevention group 1 (n=15) and prevention group 2 (n=15). The normal rats were injected with physiological saline as blank control. At the same time, the rats of other three groups were injected with diethylnitrosamine to establish the HCC model. Direct moxibustion with grain-sized moxa was applied to bilateral Ganshu acupoint of the rats in the prevention group 1 (1 treatment course, 20 days) and prevention group 2 (2 treatment courses, 40 days), 5 doses for each acupoint, 0.5 mg/dose, once every other day. At each time point (before model establishment, the end of 1st course prevention, the end of 2nd course prevention and the end of model establishment), serum levels of TSGF and TNF-α were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
Compared with the control group, there was a remarkably increase of serum TSGF and TNF-α contents in the model group at the end of the experiment (P<0.05). At the end of the 1st course of direct moxibustion, the contents of serum TSGF and TNF-α of rats in the prevention group 1 were significantly increased compared with that of the model group (P<0.05). At the end of the 2nd course of direct moxibustion, serum TSGF and TNF-α levels of rats in the model group were higher than the normal group with significantly difference (P<0.05), and the levels of TSGF and TNF-α in the prevention group 2 were significantly reduced in comparison with the model group (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
It was possible that direct moxibustion could inhibit precancerous lesion and postpone hepatocarcinogenesis, and the therapeutic effect of two courses were better than one course.
School of Acupuncture-moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
Pei
P
Wang
School of Acupuncture-moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.|The Key Unit of Evaluation of Characteristic Acupuncture Therapy, State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
Jiang
J
Zhu
The Research Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion in Houma City, Houma, Shanxi Province, 043001, China.
Xi-Liang
XL
Xie
School of Acupuncture-moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
Ming-He
MH
Sui
School of Preclinical Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
Qiu-Ju
QJ
Zhang
School of Acupuncture-moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
Wen-Rui
WR
Jia
Chengde Medical College, Chengde, Hebei Province, 067000, China.
Si-Yuan
SY
Xin
School of Acupuncture-moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China.
Yang
Y
Liu
School of Acupuncture-moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, China. howlinton@126.com.
Zhong-Wei
ZW
Hou
D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009071:Moxibustion; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000097:blood*; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*
D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
Chinese medicine; diethylnitrosamine; direct moxibustion; hepatocellular carcinoma; tumor necrosis factor α; tumor specific growth factor