[Effects of Direct Moxibustion of "Ganshu"(BL 18) on the Contents of T cells in Peripheral Blood in Rats with Precancerous Lesion of Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of moxibustion stimulation of "Ganshu"(BL 18) region on contents of T cells in the peripheral blood in rats with Diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), so as to explore its effective in improving immunoregulatory function.

METHODS: Seventy male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group ( n =10), model group( n =15), direct moxibustion-15 s group( n =15), direct moxibustion-30 s group ( n =15) and ginger-separated moxibustion group( n =15). The primary HCC precancerous lesion model was established by intraperitoneal injection of DEN (50 mg/kg), once every 3 days for 10 weeks. Moxibustion was applied to bilateral "Ganshu"(BL 18) for about 15 min (3 moxa-cones), or 30 min (six moxa-cones), with or without ginger-slice separation, once every other day for 10 consecutive weeks. The contents of T cells of CD 3+ , CD 4+ , CD 8+ and CD 4+ /CD 8+ ratio in the peripheral blood were detected with Flow Cytometey(FCM), pathological changes of liver were observed by light microscope after hematoxylin-eosin(HE) stain.

RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the contents of blood CD 3+ and CD 4+ T cells and ratio of CD 4+ /CD 8+ were significantly down-regulated, while that of CD 8+ T cells was obviously increased in the model group( P <0.05, P <0.01). After moxibustion intervention, the decreased CD 3+ and CD 4+ T cells and CD 4+ /CD 8+ levels and the increased CD 8+ T cell contents were reversed in all the 3 moxibustion groups ( P <0.05, P <0.01), except CD 3+ in the ginger-separated moxibustion group ( P >0.05). There were no significant differences among the three moxibustion groups in the CD 3+ , CD 4+ , CD 8+ and CD 4+ /CD 8+ levels ( P >0.05). In addition, the pathological changes of liver tissue as central vein deviation or absence, disordered arrangement of hepatic cords, narrowing of the hepatic sinusoid, hyperplasia of collagen fibers, formation of tuberosis, unevenness of liver cells with nuclear anachromasis and higher heteromorphism, and macronucleus oncocytes in primary HCC rats were not observed or milder after moxibustion intervention.

CONCLUSIONS: Direct moxibustion and ginger-separated moxibustion can improve pathological changes of hepatic cells in rats with HCC, which may be associated with its actions in raising blood CD 3+ and CD 4+ T cell contents and reducing CD 8+ T levels to improve immune function.