Objective:To observe the effects of moxibustion or moxa smoke on serum lipids,aorta and liver pathology,and carotid plaque stability in atherosclerosis.Methods:Fifty-four 8-week-old ApoE^-/- mice were randomly divided...Objective:To observe the effects of moxibustion or moxa smoke on serum lipids,aorta and liver pathology,and carotid plaque stability in atherosclerosis.Methods:Fifty-four 8-week-old ApoE^-/- mice were randomly divided into three groups(untreated,moxibustion,and moxa smoke)and received a high-fat diet.Eighteen wild-type C57 BL/6 mice of the same age were used as controls.The intervention(none,moxibustion between the nipples,or 10 e15 mg/m^3 moxa smoke)was applied to restrained mice 20 min per day,six days per week,for 12 weeks.At the end of the experimental period,we measured serum lipids and apolipoprotein,stained thoracic aortas and livers to observe pathological changes,and used immunohistochemical staining to assess the levels of a-smooth muscle actin,CD68,tumor necrosis factor-α,nuclear transcription factor-κB,and P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase.We also measured the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and 9 and tissue metalloproteinase inhibitor-1.Results:After 12 weeks,lipid metabolism disorder and atherosclerotic plaques were observed in the ApoE^-/- mice.Moxibustion or moxa smoke reduced the levels of serum total cholesterol,triglycerides,low density lipoprotein,and very low density lipoprotein but did not affect the levels of high density lipoprotein,apolipoprotein A1,or oxidized low density lipoprotein.Moxibustion or moxa smoke suppressed pathological changes in thoracic aortas and livers,increased fiber cap thickness,the fiber cap thickness/intimal medial thickness ratio,and collagen area percentage,and reduced extracellular lipids.Treatment with moxibustion or moxa smoke increased a-smooth muscle actin and reduced CD68 and the vulnerability index,suppressed tumor necrosis factor-α and nuclear transcription factor-κB expression,and did not affect P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase expression.Treatment lowered the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and 9 and increased those of tissue metalloproteinase inhibitor-1.Conclusion:Moxibustion or moxa smoke exert protective effects in serum lipid profiles and carotid plaque stability in atherosclerotic mice by regulating plaque stability,inflammatory factors,and matrix metalloproteinases.展开更多
Insect is the largest group of animals on land.Many insect species inflict economical and health losses to humans.Yet many more benefit us by helping to maintain balances in our ecosystem.The benefits that insects off...Insect is the largest group of animals on land.Many insect species inflict economical and health losses to humans.Yet many more benefit us by helping to maintain balances in our ecosystem.The benefits that insects offer remain largely untapped,justifying our continuing efforts to develop tools to better understand their biology and to better manage their activities.Here we focus on reviewing the progresses made in the development of genome engineering tools for model insects.Instead of detailed descriptions of the molecular mechanisms underlying each technical advance,we focus our discussion on the logistics for implementing similar tools in non-model insects.Since none of the tools were developed specific for insects,similar approaches can be applied to other non-model organisms.展开更多
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(numbers 81874503 and 81574068)。
文摘Objective:To observe the effects of moxibustion or moxa smoke on serum lipids,aorta and liver pathology,and carotid plaque stability in atherosclerosis.Methods:Fifty-four 8-week-old ApoE^-/- mice were randomly divided into three groups(untreated,moxibustion,and moxa smoke)and received a high-fat diet.Eighteen wild-type C57 BL/6 mice of the same age were used as controls.The intervention(none,moxibustion between the nipples,or 10 e15 mg/m^3 moxa smoke)was applied to restrained mice 20 min per day,six days per week,for 12 weeks.At the end of the experimental period,we measured serum lipids and apolipoprotein,stained thoracic aortas and livers to observe pathological changes,and used immunohistochemical staining to assess the levels of a-smooth muscle actin,CD68,tumor necrosis factor-α,nuclear transcription factor-κB,and P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase.We also measured the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and 9 and tissue metalloproteinase inhibitor-1.Results:After 12 weeks,lipid metabolism disorder and atherosclerotic plaques were observed in the ApoE^-/- mice.Moxibustion or moxa smoke reduced the levels of serum total cholesterol,triglycerides,low density lipoprotein,and very low density lipoprotein but did not affect the levels of high density lipoprotein,apolipoprotein A1,or oxidized low density lipoprotein.Moxibustion or moxa smoke suppressed pathological changes in thoracic aortas and livers,increased fiber cap thickness,the fiber cap thickness/intimal medial thickness ratio,and collagen area percentage,and reduced extracellular lipids.Treatment with moxibustion or moxa smoke increased a-smooth muscle actin and reduced CD68 and the vulnerability index,suppressed tumor necrosis factor-α and nuclear transcription factor-κB expression,and did not affect P38 mitogen-activated protein kinase expression.Treatment lowered the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and 9 and increased those of tissue metalloproteinase inhibitor-1.Conclusion:Moxibustion or moxa smoke exert protective effects in serum lipid profiles and carotid plaque stability in atherosclerotic mice by regulating plaque stability,inflammatory factors,and matrix metalloproteinases.
基金supported by a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.NSFC #31371364)
文摘Insect is the largest group of animals on land.Many insect species inflict economical and health losses to humans.Yet many more benefit us by helping to maintain balances in our ecosystem.The benefits that insects offer remain largely untapped,justifying our continuing efforts to develop tools to better understand their biology and to better manage their activities.Here we focus on reviewing the progresses made in the development of genome engineering tools for model insects.Instead of detailed descriptions of the molecular mechanisms underlying each technical advance,we focus our discussion on the logistics for implementing similar tools in non-model insects.Since none of the tools were developed specific for insects,similar approaches can be applied to other non-model organisms.
