Our previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of partition-herb
moxibustion on
ulcerative colitis (UC) rats. However, the mechanism of actions of partition-herb
moxibustion is still unclear. Most Chinese acupuncturists believe that partition-herb improves the effect of
moxibustion therapy. However, this argument lacks confirming experimental and clinical evidence. So, whether partition-herb does play a role in the mechanism of actions of partition-herb
moxibustion was reported in this paper. A total of 123 patients were randomly divided into the partition-herb
moxibustion group and the control group (partition-bran
moxibustion group). Fourteen patients dropped out of the study. Finally, 109 patients finished the intervention. Sixty-one patients with UC received partition-herb
moxibustion and 48 patients with UC received partition-bran
moxibustion for 72 treatments, one treatment per day, every 12 treatments with an interval of 3 days. The expressions of
interleukin-8 (IL-8) and
intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in the colonic mucosa tissue in mild patients with UC were assayed by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR. Histology of the colon also was observed at entry and after 72 treatments. Clinical
therapeutic effect in partition-herb
moxibustion was significantly better than those in partition-bran
moxibustion (P < 0.05).
Protein and
mRNA expression of
IL-8,
ICAM-1 in the patients was inhibited by both partition-herb
moxibustion and partition-bran
moxibustion, of those the inhibition in the partition-herb
moxibustion group was more obvious (P < 0.01). Partition-herb
moxibustion was shown to significantly improve the histology of the colon, and partition-herb was shown to improve the
therapeutic effect of
moxibustion on treatment of UC patients.