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Updated: Oct 4, 2025
Herbs-Partitioned Moxibustion on the Navel in a Rat Model of Primary Dysmenorrhea with Cold Coagulation and Blood Stasis
Published on: October 4, 2024
Effects of Herb-Partitioned Moxibustion on Autophagy and Immune Activity in the Colon Tissue of Rats with Crohn's
Jimeng Zhao1, Zhe Ma1, Handan Zheng1
1Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Immunological Effects, Shanghai Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China.
Objective:
To investigate the mechanism of action of herb-partitioned moxibustion on CD from the perspective of autophagy and immunity.
Methods:
The expression of microtubule-associated protein LC3II and SQSTM1/p62 in the colon tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry. Western blot was used to detect the expression of autophagic and immune-related proteins in the colon, such as LC3II, SQSTM1/p62, Beclin1, ATG16L1, NOD2, IRGM, IL-1β, IL-17, and TNF-β. mRNA levels of immune factors, such as IL-1β, IL-17, and TNF-β, and autophagy signaling molecules, such as PI3KC, AKT1, LKB1, and mTOR, were detected by RT-qPCR.
Results:
Herb-partitioned moxibustion reduced the protein levels of ATG16L1, NOD2, IRGM, LC3II, and Beclin1 (P < 0.01) and both the protein and mRNA levels of IL-1β, IL-17, and TNF-β in CD rats (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), and it also increased the expression of SQSTM1/p62 protein (P < 0.01). The modulatory effects of herb-partitioned moxibustion on ATG16L1, NOD2, IRGM, LC3II, TNF-β, and IL-17 protein and IL-1β protein and mRNA were better than those of mesalazine (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). Herb-partitioned moxibustion also reduced colon PI3KC, AKT1, and LKB1 mRNA expressions in CD rats (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05) and increased mTOR protein expression (P < 0.05). And the modulatory effect of herb-partitioned moxibustion on AKT1 mRNA was better than that of mesalazine (P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
Herb-partitioned moxibustion may inhibit excessively activated autophagy and modulate the expression of immune-related factors by regulating the LKB1-mTOR-PI3KC signal transduction networks, thereby alleviating intestinal inflammation in CD rats.
