[Effect of Mild Moxibustion with Different Terms at Different Acupoints on Renal Functions and Renal Pathological Changes in Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis Rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe changes of urinary microprotein, and serum creatinine, urea nitrogen and uric acid levels in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) rats treated by mild moxibustion, so as to explore the mechanism of moxibustion underlying improvement of FSGS.

METHODS: SD rats were randomized into normal control (normal), sham operation (sham), model, medication (Losartan), moxibustion-Shenshu (BL 23) and moxibustion-Geshu (BL 17) groups. The latter two moxibustion groups were further divided into 10 min, 20 min and 30 min subgroups ( n =6 in each group/subgroups). The FSGS model was established by unilateral nephrectomy combined with injection of Losartan into the tail vein twice. Mild moxibustion was applied to bilateral BL 17 and BL 23 for 10, 20 and 30 min, respectively, once every other day, for 12 weeks. The contents of urinary microglobulin α 1, micro-albumin, transferring and IgG were assayed using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and serum creatinine, urea nitrogen and uric acid contents (indexes of renal function) determined using an automatic biochemical analyzer. The pathological changes of the kidney tissue was observed by using a microscope after periodic acid schiff (PAS) staining.

RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the normal control and sham groups in the levels of all the urinary and serum indexes ( P >0.05) and pathological changes of the renal tissues. Compared with the normal control group, the contents of urinary microglobulin α 1, micro-albumin, transferrin and IgG, and serum creatinine, urea nitrogen and uric acid were significantly increased in the model group ( P <0.01). Following medication and moxibustion, the contents of the aforementioned 7 indexes in the Losartan group, and urinary microglobulin α 1, micro-albumin, transferrin and IgG, and serum creatinine levels in the moxibustion BL 23-20 min and 30 min groups, and the micro-albumin and transferrin contents in the BL-17 10 min group and IgG level in the BL-23 10 min group, the serum creatinine and urea nitrogen levels at the 3 time-points of both moxibustion BL 23 and BL 17 groups, and serum uric acid in the moxibustion BL 23 30 min, and BL17 20 and 30 min groups were all considerably down-regulated ( P <0.05, P <0.01). The therapeutic effects of moxibustion 30 min were notably better than moxibustion 10 min in reducing urinary microglobulin α 1, micro-albumin, transferring and IgG levels ( P <0.05, P <0.01). Results of PAS staining showed that the injury of the renal tissue as the endothelial and mesangial cellular proliferation, collagen proteinosis, interstitial fibrosis, etc were relatively milder in the Losartan and moxibustion 20 and 30 min groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Mild moxibustion may reduce proteinuria, and improve the kidney function and pathological changes in FSGS rats, and longer duration of moxibustion is better in achieving therapeutic effect.