Effect of Moxibustion on Expression of HSP70 and Apoptosisrelated Factors in Rats with Acute Gastric Mucosal Damage

Objective To observe the effect of preventively used moxibustion on the expression of apoptosis-related factors in rats with acute gastric mucosal damage (GMD), and analyze the relationship between those factors and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), for discovering the mechanism of moxibustion for protecting gastric mucosa from the aspect of mitochondria signal transduction of apoptosis. Methods Thirty-two Wistar rats were randomly divided into binding, model, acupoint-moxibustion and non-acupoint-moxibustion groups, 8 in each group. Moxibustion was applied preventively to acupoint-moxibustion and non-acupointmoxibustion groups respectively for 8 d. Rats in binding and model groups were served with restraint without moxibustion. The GMD models were induced in groups except for A group, and the expression of cytochrome c (Cyt-c) in gastric mucosa was measured by Western-blot analysis, the expression of HSP70, cell apoptosis index (AI), apoptotic protease activating factor 1 (Apaf-1), Caspase-9, Caspase-3, Bcl-2 and Bax in gastric mucosal cells were studied by immunohistochemical detection. Results Compared with binding group, the expressions of HSP70, AI, Cyt-c, Apaf-1, Caspase-9, Caspase-3, Bcl-2 and Bax of gastric mucosa in model group were significantly higher ( P