Effect of moxibustion on expressions of HSP70 mRNA and protein in gastric cancer-bearing rats / 针灸推拿医学（英文版）

ABSTRACT

Objective:To observe the effect of moxibustion on the mRNA and protein expressions of heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70) in gastric cancer-bearing rats. Methods: A total of 40 healthy Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were adaptively fed for one week. The gastric cancer model was prepared by Walker-256 cancer tissue transplantation. After 7 d, 10 rats were randomly selected to verify the successful modeling, and the remaining 30 rats were divided into a model group, a moxibustion group and an infrared group by the random number table method, with 10 rats in each group. After enrollment, the moxibustion group received suspended moxibustion at Zhongwan (CV 12), Guanyuan (CV 4) and bilateral Zusanli (ST 36), (the first group of acupoints) on the 1st day, and suspended moxibustion at bilateral Pishu (BL 20) and Weishu (BL 21), (the second group of acupoints) on the 2nd day, 20 min each time, once a day. Moxibustion was alternately performed every other day at the two groups of acupoints for 21 d. From the day of enrollment, rats in the infrared group were irradiated with the infrared radiation at the stomach area on the 1st day, and at the T12-T13 interspinous region on the 2nd day, 20 min each time, once a day, and the two locations were alternately irradiated every other day for 21 d. During the treatment, rats in the model group were intervened by grasping and fixation without treatment. At the end of the treatment, blood was collected from the inner eye orbit, and the HSP70 expression in peripheral blood was determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Rats were sacrificed, the tumor volume and growth inhibition rate were measured. The position and changes of HSP70 in gastric cancer were observed by streptavidin-perosidase (SP); HSP70 protein expression was determined by ELISA; HSP70 mRNA expression in cancer tissues was determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. Results: In comparison of the model group, the volume growth of the gastric cancer in the moxibustion group was significantly restricted (P＜0.01); the volume growth inhibition rate in the moxibustion group was 37.93%; the HSP70 expression in peripheral blood and the cancer tissues was significantly increased (both P＜0.01); the expression of HSP70 mRNA and HSP70 content in gastric tumor were both obviously increased in the moxibustion group (P＜0.01); and a large amount of HSP70 was released to the outside of cancer cells in the moxibustion group. In comparison of the model group, the volume growth of the gastric cancer in the infrared group was slightly restricted (P＜0.05) with a volume growth inhibition rate of 15.89%; the HSP70 expression in the infrared group was increased significantly in peripheral blood (P＜0.01) and in the gastric cancer tissues (P＜0.05); more HSP70 was released outside of the cancer cells in the infrared group. In comparison of the infrared group, the volume growth of gastric cancer was more restricted in the moxibustion group (P＜0.05), and the HSP70 expression in the gastric cancer tissues was also higher (P＜0.05); more HSP70 was released outside of the cancer cells in the moxibustion group. Conclusion: Moxibustion and infrared treatment inhibit the gastric cancer growth in the gastric cancer-bearing rats, up-regulate the HSP70 expression in gastric cancer tissues, and promote the production and extracellular release of HSP70, and the effect of moxibustion is more obvious.