| BACKGROUNDSAtherosclerosis(AS)is the main pathological basis of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases,and also a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by atherosclerotic plaques.It was found that large amounts of CD4+T cells in AS plaques.CD4+T cells were activated by the local inflammatory microenvironment,selectively differentiate into subsets of helper T cells(Th),including the Th1,Th2,Th17 and Tregs cell lineages.Th cells secrete different cytokines to participate in the inflammatory process of AS and affect plaque stability.In addition,the balance of matrix metalloproteinases(MMPs)and their tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases(TIMPs)plays an important role in plaque stabilization of AS.Studies have shown that when the proportion of Th1,Th17 and MMPs increases,the stability of plaque will decrease,and eventually rupture to form thrombosis,leading to vascular ischemic lesions.Moxa combustion products(MCP)include volatile oil,light components(gaseous substances)and recombination components(liquid and granular substances)produced in the combustion process,which are one of the effective mechanisms of moxibustion therapy.Moxa smoke is the main form of MCP.Previous studies have shown that moxibustion and moxa smoke can play a role in the prevention and treatment of AS by regulating lipid metabolism disorder and reducing inflammatory response in AS model mice.OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of MCP(moxa smoke,filtered moxa smoke,heating moxa floss and essential oil of Artemisia Argyi)on the pathological changes of aorta and liver,levels of inflammatory factors and plaque stability of AS under four different treatments,and explore the effective mechanism of the intervention of MCP on AS,preliminarily define the existing form and scope of active substances in MCP.METHODSForty male 8-week-old ApoE-/-mice were randomly divided into 5 groups:model group,moxa smoke group,filtered moxa smoke group,moxa floss heating group,essential oil of Artemisia Argyi group.Eight male C57BL/6 mice of the same age was the blank group.The mice in each group were fixed daily,the mice in blank group and model group were not intervened.The mice in moxa smoke group were exposed to 2%concentration of moxa smoke,burning about 1.5 g of moxa floss.The mice in filtered moxa smoke group were exposed to filtered moxa smoke environment,burning about 1.5 g of moxa floss.The mice in moxa floss heating group were exposed to the environment,heating about 1.5 g moxa floss.The mice in essential oil ofArtemisia Argyi were exposed to environment,which 3.75 uL of Artemisia Argyi essential oil(1.5 g of the volatile oil in moxa floss)was added into 16 mL of distilled water.All interventions were carried out in the cabinet,20 mins per day,6 days per week,for 14 weeks.The pathological sections of thoracic aorta were observed by HE staining and oil red "O"staining,and the pathological sections of liver were observed by HE staining.The contents of INF-??IL-10,IL-17,TGF-?1,MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in serum were measured by Elisa.RESULTS1 Pathological change of thoracic aorta and liver in ApoE-/-mice.Pathological change of thoracic aorta:there was no obvious abnormality in the blank group,but there was obvious AS lesion in the thoracic aorta in the model group.Compared with the model group,the moxa smoke group,filtered moxa smoke group and moxa floss heating group had different degree of improvement,and there was no significant improvement in the essential oil of Artemisia Argyi group compared with the model group.Pathological change of liver:there was no obvious abnormality in the blank group.In the model group,the arrangement of hepatocyte cords and sinusoids was disordered,and the hepatocytes were obviously degenerated and swollen.The arrangement of hepatocyte cords in the moxa smoke group,filtered moxa smoke group and moxa floss heating group were more regular than that in the model group,and there was no significant improvement in the essential oil of Artemisia Argyi group compared with the model group.2 Levels of inflammatory factors.Compared with the blank group,the content of serum INF-y and IL-17 in the model group were increased significantly(P<0.01,P<0.01),the content of serum IL-10 and TGF-?1 were decreased significantly(P<0.01,P<0.01).The ratio of INF-?/IL-10 and IL-17/TGF-?1 were increased significantly(P<0.01,P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the content of serum IL-10 and TGF-?1 in the moxa smoke group were increased significantly(P<0.01,P<0.05),the content of serum INF-? and IL-17 were decreased significantly(P<0.05,P<0.01).The ratio of INF-?/IL-10 and IL-17/TGF-?1 were decreased significantly(P<0.01,P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the content of serum IL-10 in the filtered moxa smoke group was increased significantly(P<0.01),the content of serum INF-? and IL-17 were decreased significantly(P<0.05,P<0.01).The ratio of INF-?/IL-10 and IL-17/TGF-?1 were decreased significantly(P<0.01,P<0.01).The content of serum TGF-?1 was no significant difference(P>0.05).Compared with the model group,the content of serum INF-? and IL-17 in the moxa floss heating group were decreased significantly(P<0.05,P<0.05).The content of serum IL10 and TGF-?1 and the ratio of INF-?/IL-10 and the ratio of IL-17/TGF-?1 were no significantly(P>0.05).Compared with the model group,the content of serum INF-? and IL17 and IL-10 and TGF-?1 and the ratio of INF-?/IL-10 and IL-17/TGF-?1 in the essential oil of Artemisia Argyi group were no significantly(P>0.05).Comparison between groups of moxa burning products under different treatments:The content of serum INF-? was no significant difference among the groups(P>0.05).The content of serum IL-10 in the moxa smoke group was higher significantly than that of the moxa floss heating group and the essential oil of Artemisia Argyi group(P<0.01,P<0.05),and there was no significant difference among other groups(P>0.05),The ratio of INF-?/IL-10 was lower significantly than that of the moxa floss heating group and the essential oil of Artemisia Argyi group(P<0.05 P<0.05),and there was no significant difference among other groups(P>0.05).The content of serum IL-17 in the moxa smoke group and the filtered moxa smoke group were lower significantly than that in the essential oil of Artemisia Argyi group(P<0.05,P<0.05),and there was no significant difference among other groups(P>0.05).The content of serum TGF-?1 was no significant difference among the groups(P>0.05).The ratio of IL17/TGF-?1 in the moxa smoke group and the filtered moxa smoke group and the moxa floss heating group were lower significantly than that in the essential oil of Artemisia Argyi group(P<0.01,P<0.01),and there was no significant difference among other groups(P>0.05).3 Plaque stability of AS.Compared with the blank group,the content of serum MMP-9 in the model group increased significantly(P<0.01),but the content of serum TIMP-1 and the ratio of MMP9/TIMP-1 had no significant difference(P>0.05).Compared with the model group,the content of serum MMP-9 in the moxa smoke group was decreased significantly(P<0.01),the content of serum TIMP-1 was increased significantly higher(P<0.05)and the ratio of MMP-9/TIMP1 was decreased significantly than that in the model group(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the content of serum MMP-9 in the filtered moxa smoke group was decreased significantly(P<0.05),the content of serum TIMP-1 was no significant difference(P>0.05),the ratio of MMP-9/TIMP-1 was decreased significantly than that in the model group(P<0.01).Compared with the model group,the content of serum MMP-9 in the moxa floss heating group was decreased significantly(P<0.01),the content of serum TIMP-1 was no significant difference(P>0.05),the ratio of MMP-9/TIMP-1 was decreased significantly than that in the model group(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,the content of serum MMP-9 and TIMP-1 and the ratio of MMP-9/TIMP-1 in the essential oil of Artemisia Argyi group were no significant difference(P>0.05).Comparison between groups of moxa burning products under different treatments:The content of serum MMP-9 was no significant difference among the groups(P>0.05).The content of serum TIMP-1 in the moxa smoke group was higher significantly than that of the essential oil of Artemisia Argyi group(P<0.01),and there was no significant difference among other groups(P>0.05).The ratio of MMP-9/TIMP-1 in the moxa smoke group and the filtered moxa smoke group was lower significantly than that in the essential oil of Artemisia Argyi group(P<0.01,P<0.01),and there was no significant difference among other groups(P>0.05).CONCLUSION1 Moxa smoke and filtered moxa smoke can improve the pathology of aorta and liver,reduce inflammatory reaction,enhance plaque stability,and slow down the development of AS.It is suggested that the filtered particulate matter has little effect on the effect of moxa smoke.2 Compared with the moxa smoke group,there was no significant effect on improving the pathology of aorta and liver,alleviating the inflammatory reaction and enhancing the stability of plaque in the moxa floss heating group and the essential oil of Artemisia Argyi group,which indicates that the burning process of moxibustion may be an indispensable step. |
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