RÉSUMÉ
OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of herbal-cake-separated moxibustion on blood lipid levels and expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and scavenger receptor B 1 (SR-B 1) proteins and genes in liver of hyperlipidemia atherosclerosis rabbits, so as to explore its mechanism underlying anti-atherosclerosis formation. METHODS: Forty male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into normal control, model, moxibustion and Simvastatin groups (n＝10 rabbits in each group). The hyperlipidemia atherosclerosis model was established by high cholesterol diet and propylthiouracil for 12 weeks. Herbal-cake-separated moxibustion was applied to "Juque" (CV 14), and bilateral "Tianshu" (ST 25), "Fenglong" (ST 40) (point group 1), and bilateral "Xinshu" (BL 15), "Ganshu" (BL 18) and "Pishu" (BL 20) (point group 2). The two groups of points were used alternately. Simvastatin (1.96 mg•kg－1•d－1) mixed in the forage was given to rabbits of the Simva-statin group. Both moxibustion and medication treatments were given once daily for continuous 4 weeks. Total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels in plasma were detected by using an automatic biochemistry analyzer. The expression levels of PPARγ and SR-B 1 proteins and genes in the hepatic tissue were determined by Western blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, separately. RESULTS: After modeling, plasma TC, TG and LDL-C levels in the model group were significantly increased (P<0.01), and the levels of plasma HDL-C and hepatic PPARγ and SR-B 1 protein and mRNA expression were obviously down-regulated relevant to the normal group (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, plasma TC, TG and LDL-C levels were significantly decreased (P<0.01), and plasma HDL-C and hepatic PPARγ and SR-B 1 protein and mRNA levels were significantly up-regulated in the two treatment groups (P<0.01, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Herbal-cake-separated moxibustion can regulate blood lipid levels and suppress hyperlipidemia-induced decrease of expression of hepatic PPARγ and SR-B 1 proteins and genes in hyperlipidemia atherosclerosis rabbits, which maybe contribute to its action in anti-atherosclerosis through promoting reversal of cholesterol.