Neural Regen Res, 2012 · DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2012.30.007 · Published: October 1, 2012
This study investigates how pre-moxibustion, a traditional Chinese medicine technique, can protect the stomach lining from damage. The focus is on a protein called heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), known to help cells resist stress. Researchers created stomach ulcers in rats and then applied pre-moxibustion at a specific acupuncture point (Zusanli). They found that this treatment helped reduce the severity of ulcers and increased the amount of HSP70 in the stomach and blood. The study also explored whether nerves play a role in this protective effect. They cut certain nerves in the rats and found that some nerve pathways are indeed involved in how moxibustion boosts HSP70 in the stomach, suggesting a neural regulation mechanism.
Pre-moxibustion at Zusanli may be a potential complementary therapy for preventing and treating gastric mucosal lesions.
Further research is needed to fully elucidate the specific neural pathways and molecular mechanisms involved in the protective effects of moxibustion.
The upregulation of HSP70 expression by moxibustion could inspire the development of new drugs targeting gastric protection.