Experiment Study On Promoting The Repairment Of Aorta Intima And The Impact Of AMPK-SIRT1-NF-kappaB Pathway In The Atherosclerosis Rabbit Via Warm-moxibution

Objectives: This project aims at exploring the potential mechanism on how warm-moxibustion intervene AS in terms of AMPK-SIRT1-NF-?B pathway.Methods: 68 rabbits were randomly divided into two groups: control group(Group A,12)and modeling group(56).Modeling group was modeled by high-fat diet and immune injury for AS models within 8 weeks.Then AS models were divided into model group(Group B,18),mild-moxibustion group(Group C,18)and blocker group(Group D,18).Group A,B did not take any treatments,Group C performed moderate moxibustion in the point of RN17,RN8,PC6,and SP10;while Group D were added inhibitor ex527 intraperitoneally.General condition,morphology and microstructure changes of aorta were recorded.Content of TG,TC,LDL-C,HDL-C and TNF-?,VCAM-1,MCP-1 were detected.IHC,RT-PCR,WB were used to detect the expression of AMPK,SIRT1,NF-?B genes and protein.Result: 1.General conditions: Moxibustion can improve the activities,fur condition and stool morphology,statistically difference among Group B,D(P<0.05,P <0.01).2.Pathomorphologic change: Moxibustion can reduce foam cells,lipid deposition and improve the pathological changes.3.Serum lipid level changes: Moxibustion can reduce TG,TC and LDL-C levels,existing statistical significance among Group B,D: TG(P<0.01);TC,LDL-C(P<0.01,P<0.05);while the HDL-C has no difference(P>0.05).4.Changes of inflammatory factor: contents of TNF-?,VCAM-1 and MCP-1 in Group C were lower than Group B,D: TNF-?(P<0.01,P<0.05);VCAM-1(P<0.01);MCP-1(P<0.01,P<0.05).5.AMPK: Moxibustion increased IOD values and upregulated AMPK mRNA and protein expression,existing significance among Group B,D : IOD values(P<0.001,P<0.05);mRNA(P<0.01,P<0.05);protein expression(P<0.05).6.SIRT1: Moxibustion increased IOD values and upregulated SIRT1 mRNA and protein expression,existing statistical difference among Group B,D: IOD values(P<0.01,P<0.001);mRNA(P<0.01);protein expression(P<0.05,P<0.01).7.NF-?B: Moxibustion increased IOD values and downregulated NF-?B mRNA and protein expression,existing difference among Group B,D: IOD values(P<0.001,P<0.05);mRNA(P<0.01,P<0.05);protein expression(P<0.01).Conclusion: 1.Moxibustion have a benign regulation on lipids metabolism and aortic tissue.2.Moxibustion can decrease content of TNF-?,VCAM-1 and MCP-1.3.Moxibustion can up-regulate AMPK gene and protein expression,activate energy switch.Also,it can up-regulate expression of SIRT1 gene,protein expression,inhibit inflammation;while down-regulate the expression of NF-?B gene,protein to reduce the damage of endothelium.4.After blocker,IOD values,mRNA,protein expression of SIRT1 were down-regulated,while those of NF-?B were increased,which reveals that the role of moxibustion in preventing AS may be implemented via AMPK-SIRT1-NF-?B signal pathway.