Regulating the secretion of insulin-like growth factor-I and transforming growth factor beta 1 of colonic fibroblasts by moxibustion at Tianshu and Qihai in rats

AIM: Previous researches show that, insulin-like growth factor-Ⅰ (IGF-Ⅰ) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) are closely related to the colonic fibroblasts in ulcerative colitis fibrosis patients. This study investigated the moxibustion's effect on regulating the secretion of IGF-Ⅰ and TGF-β1 of colonic fibroblasts in rats to explore the mechanism of treating ulcerative colitis fibrosis by moxibustion. METHODS: From May 2004 to July 2005, the experiment was carried out in the Experimental Animal Center and Grade-Ⅲ Laboratory of Acupuncture and Immunity by State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.①Totally 75 male SD rats (SPF grade, weighting about 200 g) were adopted.②A rat model of ulcerative colitis fibrosis was established by immunological method and local stimulation. All the model rats were randomly divided into model group, herbs-partition moxibustion group, mild-warm moxibustion group and salazopyrin (SASP) group. Normal rats were used as normal control group. Herbs-partition moxibustion group and mild-warm moxibustion group were treated by herbs-partition moxibustion and mild-warm moxibustion respectively on Qihai (RN 6) and Tianshu (ST 25) points. SASP group was fed with medicine SASP. Normal control group and model group gave no treatment. After the treatment all the rats were killed under anesthesia, and colonic tissues were harvested. Colonic fibroblasts from all the rats were isolated and cultured.③IGF-Ⅰand TGF-β1 contents in the supernatants of different groups were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Eight rats from each group were involved in the result analysis.①There were damages, ulcers and collagen fibrous hyperplasia in the colon mucosa membrane of model rats, with collagenⅠ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ ranked disorder and increased. Both granulation tissue and fibrous tissue appeared hyperplasy.②TGF-β1 and IGF-Ⅰ secretion from colonic fibroblasts of rats in model group increased. Treatment of herbs-partition moxibustion and mild warm moxibustion decreased the secretions of TGF-β1 (P 0.05, P 0.01), and IGF-Ⅰ content was reduced in herbs-partition moxibustion group, mild-warm moxibustion group and SASP group (P 0.01). CONCLUSION: Moxibustion on Qihai (RN 6) and Tianshu (ST 25) points is effective in decreasing the secretion of TGF-β1 and IGF-Ⅰ colonic fibroblasts in rats, reducing the accumulation of extracellular matrix, and preventing colonic fibrosis in ulcerative colitis rats.