Using Herbal-Cake-Separated Moxibustion for the Treatment of Rats with Chronic Renal Failure

We studied the effects of herbal-cake-separated moxibustion on chronic renal failure rats. This experiment tries to answer the mechanism of herbal-cake-separated moxibustion. The advantage of this protocol is that the rats are moxibusting unbundled and non-anesthesic conditions, making animal experiments close to clinical practice.

The application of moxibustion platform not only protects the animal welfare of rats, but also reduces the moxibustion operation process in the saves the time and energy of operators, and promotes the development of animal moxibustion experiment to a certain extent. In the future, our laboratory will further expand the scope of use of the platform, explore the acupuncture effect of the experimental rats. After using the rats and under the same conditions, carry out a comparative study on the effects of moxibustion with the device and other moxibustion methods in rats.

To begin fabricating the device, use anti-beaten board material and a wooden board. For constructing the mainframe, make the base of the device with anti-beaten board with a white surface measuring 52 by 23.5 centimeters. Construct the elevated platform with solid wood 60 centimeters high.

Put five placement slots above the elevated platform. Separate the placement slots with interval boards corresponding to the distance between the front and rear limbs of the rat in a standing position. Next, fix two stainless steel strips on top of the placement slots, each with 15 holes for fixing components.

Three holes of the fixed strip correspond to each slot, which will be used to fix the plum handle screw and the moving hose. The distance between adjacent holes is seven centimeters. Attach the upper end of each placement slot with a liftable heat insulation network surrounded by a galvanized plate frame.

Position the adjustable plum blossom handle screw at both ends of the heat insulation network made of 304 steel. Insert the 304 stainless steel circular mesh material in the middle of the heat insulation network. Affix the bottom end of the stainless steel movable hose with a stainless steel fixed strip, and the upper end with the pipe clamp connection plate.

Connect the stainless steel moxa clip to the pipe clamp connection plate and secure eight to 10 moxa strips simultaneously for moxibustion. To begin, place the rat on the experimental table. Gently cover the rat's head using the rubber glove on the non-dominant hand.

Then use the dominant hand to identify the acupoints on the back of the rat. Identify the acupoint Shenshu, or B23, located on both sides of the second lumber vertebra, and Pishu, or B20, located on the intercostal of the 11th thoracic vertebra on both sides. Mark the acupoints with a color marker.

Next, use the thumb and fingers of the dominant hand to slightly pinch the skin on the back and the neck of the rat. Also, use the thumb and index finger of the non-dominant hand to gently pinch the rat's tail. Lift the rat in this position and move the rat forward slowly.

Align the head of the rat into the placement slot of the moxibustion platform. Ensure that the front paw of the rat is close to the edge of the placement slot and that the rat climbs into the slot. Next place the thumb and index fingers of both hands on the plum blossom screw at both ends of the heat insulation network.

Unscrew the plum blossom screw and lower the heat insulation net to the appropriate position close to the back of the rat. Then tighten the screws to fix the rat. Place the mold containing the medicine cake on the heat insulation net at the location's corresponding to the Pishu and Shenshu acupoints.

Then place the moxicon on the medicated cake in a smooth and steady manner. Then light the moxicon with a lighter and start moxibustion till the moxicon burns out and the residual heat dissipates naturally. Confirm completion by checking if the wet medicated cake has dried up.

Replace the burnt out moxicon and medicated cake and continue moxibustion till the moxicon burns out and the medicated cake dries. Once the procedure is complete, extinguish the moxicons and the medicated cakes in a waste tank containing water. Place an empty rearing cage in front of the rat, close to the lower end of the placement slot of the moxibustion platform, keeping the cage still.

Pat lightly the rat's buttock so that the rat can move from the placement slot to the feeding cage. After the rat enters, put down the cage. Use the dominant hand to grasp the fur on the back of the rat.

Hold the rat firmly and place it on the experimental table. Observe whether the rats have shortness of breath, whether the mood is stable, and whether the skin surface is scalded. If there is no abnormality, put the rat back in the cage.

After the herbal-cake-separated moxibustion procedure, the kidneys of treated rats were similar in size, color, and texture to the control rats, while the kidneys of rats with chronic renal failure showed white fibrosis. Further, Bcl-2 was upregulated, while PERK and Casepase-3 were downregulated in treated rats compared to those with chronic renal failure, indicating a reduction in apoptosis. Also, H&E staining revealed that the infiltration of inflammatory cells in the treated group was reduced compared to rats with chronic renal failure.

Similarly, Masson staining showed reduced deposition of collagen fibers, indicating that this procedure can be antifibrotic and hence useful for treating renal failure.