Effect of warming yang and supplementing kidney moxibustion therapy on the NF-κB signaling pathway of vascular dementia rats

Abstract

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of warming yang and supplementing kidney moxibustion therapy on the behavioristics and the expression levels of hippocampal IL-1β, TNF-α and NF-κB related genes and proteins of vascular dementia (VD) rats, and to explore the mechanism of warming yang and supplementing kidney moxibustion therapy in inhibiting VD inflammatory response. MethodsSeventy-eight SD rats, except 10 rats as sham operation group (group A), were established into VD models by applying the ischemia reperfusion method in bilateral common carotid arteries. 30 models were successful and were randomly divided into model group (group B), moxibustion group (group C) and western medication group (group D), with 10 rats in each group. After modeling, suspended moxibustion was conducted at “Dàzhuī (大椎GV 14)”, “Mìngmén (命门GV 4)” and “Guānyuán (关元CV 4)” of the rats in group C for 15 min/time. The intervention was performed for once a day, and intervention for 4 consecutive weeks was needed. Intragastric administration with nimodipine (2 mg kg−1 d−1) was carried out in the rats in group D for 4 consecutive weeks. Morris water maze test was adopted for behavioral test in the rats in each group. HE staining was conducted in order to observe the pathological changes. RT-qPCR method and Western blot method were used for detecting the expression levels of hippocampal IL-1β, TNF-α and NF-κB related genes and proteins. ResultsAfter modeling, the Morris water maze escape latency of rats in operation groups was obviously longer than that in group A (P < 0.05). According to HE staining results, the arrangement of neurons in group B was incompact, the cell membranes were undefined, the cytoplasm was heterogeneous, karyopyknosis was found, the amount of necrosis increased, and the number of inflammatory cells significantly increased. Compared with group B, the number of inflammatory cells significantly reduced in group C and group D, and the amount of neuron necrosis also reduced. After intervention, compared with group B, the expression levels of TNF-α, p-IκB and NF-κBp65 mRNA in the hippocampal of the rats in group C and group D significantly decreased (all P < 0.05), compared with group B, the expression levels of IL-1β, TNF-α and NF-κBp65 mRNA in the hippocampal of rats in group C and group D also significantly decreased (all P < 0.05). ConclusionWarming yang and supplementing kidney moxibustion therapy may inhibit the NF-κB signaling pathway and reduce the inflammatory response through lowering the expression levels of IL-1β, TNF-α and NF-κB mRNA in the brain, thus achieving the purpose of treating VD.