Basic Research
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2004. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Mar 1, 2004; 10(5): 682-688
Published online Mar 1, 2004. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v10.i5.682
Mechanisms of acupuncture and moxibustion in regulation of epithelial cell apoptosis in rat ulcerative colitis
Huan-Gan Wu, Xiao Gong, Li-Qing Yao, Wei Zhang, Yin Shi, Hui-Rong Liu, Ye-Jing Gong, Li-Bin Zhou, Yi Zhu
Huan-Gan Wu, Xiao Gong, Wei Zhang, Yin Shi, Hui-Rong Liu, Ye-Jing Gong, Yi Zhu, Shanghai Institute of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Meridians, Shanghai 200030, China; Shanghai Reaserch Center of Acupuncture and Meridian, Shanghai 201200, China
Li-Qing Yao, Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Li-Bin Zhou, RuiJin Hospital Shanghai Institute of Endocrinology, Shanghai 200025, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30200368 and Shanghai Commission of Science and Technology, No. 02DZ19150-3 and key program of Shanghai and State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China
Correspondence to: Professor Huan-Gan Wu, Shanghai Institute of Acupuncture- Moxibustion and Meridians, Shanghai 200030, China. wuhuangan@citiz.net
Telephone: +86-21-54592009/64383910
Received: July 15, 2003
Revised: August 9, 2003
Accepted: August 16, 2003
Published online: March 1, 2004
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on epithelial cell apoptosis and expression of Bcl-2, Bax, fas and FasL proteins in rat ulcerative colitis.

METHODS: A rat model of ulcerative colitis was estabelished by immunological methods and local stimulation. All rats were randomly divided into model control group (MC), electro-acupuncture group (EA), herbs-partition moxibustion group (HPM). Normal rats were used as normal control group (NC). Epithelial cell apoptosis and expression of Bcl-2, Bax, fas and FasL proteins were detected by TUNEL and immunohistochemiscal method respectively.

RESULTS: The number of epithelial cell apoptosis in MC was significantly higher than that in NC, and was markedly decreased after the treatment with herbs-partition moxibustion or electro-acupuncture. The expression of Bcl-2, Bax, fas and FasL in colonic epithelial cells in MC was higher than that in NC, and was markedly down- regulated by herbs-partition moxibustion or electro-acupuncture treatment.

CONCLUSION: The pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis in rats involves abnormality of apoptosis. Acupuncture and moxibustion can regulate the expression of Bcl-2, Bax, fas and FasL proteins and inhibit the apoptosis of epithelial cells of ulcerative colitis in rats by Bcl-2/Bax, fas/FasL pathways.

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