Effect of moxibustion on VEGF and EGF expressions in tumor tissues of rats with gastric tumor

• Published in: Journal of acupuncture and tuina science Vol. 17; no. 3; pp. 155 - 160
• Main Authors: Zhao, Huan, Lin, Ya-ping, Tan, Jing, Chen, Yu-pan, Ouyang, Li-zhi, Peng, Zhuo-jun, Shi, Jun-lin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.06.2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acupuncture; Basic Study; Epidermal growth factor; Gastric cancer; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metastasis; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Acupuncture-moxibustion Therapy; Stomach; 艾条灸; 胃; 表皮细胞生长因子; Rats; R2-03; Neoplasms; Moxibustion Therapy; Epidermal Growth Factor; 大鼠; 灸法; 肿瘤; 针灸疗法; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; Moxa Stick Moxibustion; 血管内皮生长因子
• ISSN: 1672-3597; 1993-0399
• DOI: 10.1007/s11726-019-1106-y

Objective To explore the inhibitory effect of moxibustion on tumor growth and metastasis, and also its possible mechanism, in gastric tumor-bearing rats by investigating the expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF). Methods Fifty healthy Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (half male and half female) were routinely housed for 1 week. A total of 20 rats were randomly divided into a blank group and a sham operation group, with 10 rats in each group. The remaining 30 rats were used to make gastric cancer models by implantation of ascites-type Walker-256 cancer cells. After successful modeling, rats were randomly divided into a model group, a moxibustion group and an infrared group, with 10 rats in each group. From the day of modeling, the body weight of each group was weighed every 4 days. Warm moxibustion was alternately performed at two-group acupoints [Zhongwan (CV 12), Guanyuan (CV 4) and bilateral Zusanli (ST 36) in one group, and bilateral Pishu (BL 20) and Weishu (BL 21) in another group] in the moxibustion group. The body surface projection area of the stomach was irradiated with short-wave infrared rays in the infrared group, once a day, 20 min per time for 21 d. At the end of the treatment, the gastric tumor was completely dissected, and the tumor volume and tumor growth inhibition rate were calculated. Then the gastric tumor cell metastasis was recorded. The levels of VEGF and EGF in rat gastric tumor tissues were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results Compared with the blank group, the body weight of the model group decreased significantly after modeling ( P <0.05); compared with the model group, the rats in the moxibustion group had increased body weight during the middle and late stages (both P <0.05). The tumor volumes of rats in the moxibustion group and the infrared group were smaller than the volume in the model group (both P <0.05). The tumor growth inhibition rate in the moxibustion group was significantly higher than that in the infrared group ( P <0.05). The case number of tumor metastasis in the moxibustion group was smaller than that in the model group and the infrared group. The VEGF level in the tumor tissues of the model group was statistically significantly higher than that in the blank group ( P <0.05). Compared with the model group, the VEGF levels in the moxibustion group and the infrared group were statistically significantly lower (both P <0.05). The EGF levels in the tumor tissues of the model group was statistically significantly lower than that in the blank group ( P <0.05); compared with the model group, the EGF levels in the moxibustion group and the infrared group were statistically significantly increased (both P <0.05). Conclusion Moxibustion can increase the body weight, inhibit the tumor growth, invasion and metastasis in gastric tumor-bearing rats, which may be related to the regulation of VEGF and EGF expressions in tumor tissues.