Review on Intestinal Fibrosis of IBD Treated by Acupuncture and Moxibustion

Objective： To evaluate investigations of intestinal fibrosis of IBD treated by acupuncture and moxibustion and to analyze the current research situation of intestinal fibrosis. Methods： All reported studies were indexed about intestinal fibrosis of IBD treated by acupuncture and moxibustion and summarized the therapeutic effects of acupuncture and moxibustion on intestinal fibrosis. Results： Ten studies were included in this review, the research results indicated that acupuncture and moxibustion had beneficial effects not only on cytokines and colonic fibroblast but on collagen related to intestinal fibrosis. The expressions of TGF-beta and its mRNA were down regulated, and the expressions of IGF-1, IGF-1R and IGFBP-5 were decreased by acupuncture and moxibustion. The proliferative index of CBF was prohibited and the expression of type Ⅰ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ collagen was degraded by this therapy. Conclusion： Acupuncture and moxibustion can prevent and improve the colonic tissue fibrosis of IBD in some extent, but many research settings and methods should be improved to lucubrate the real therapeutic effects and the effective mechanism of acupuncture and moxibustion.