• Pain Res Manag · Jan 2019

    Randomized Controlled Trial

    Effect of Moxibustion on HIF-1α and VEGF Levels in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

    • Yuanyuan Gong, Zeyun Yu, Yingni Wang, Yan Xiong, Yumei Zhou, Chen-Xi Liao, Yuan Li, Yun Luo, Yu Bai, Bailu Chen, Yuzhi Tang, and Ping Wu.
    • Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sichuan, Chengdu 610075, China.
    • Pain Res Manag. 2019 Jan 1; 2019: 4705247.

    BackgroundMoxibustion has a therapeutic effect of reducing swelling and relieving pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) but its mechanism is uncertain.ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of moxibustion on serum levels of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in patients with RA and to explore the possible mechanism of moxibustion.MethodsThis study involved 46 RA patients who had fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to a treatment group and a control group in an equal ratio. The control group was treated with methotrexate or leflunomide, while the treatment group received methotrexate or leflunomide and moxibustion at ST 36 (Zusanli), BL 23 (Shenshu), and Ashi points. Patients' clinical symptoms, RA-associated serum markers, and serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, HIF-1α, and VEGF were compared in the two groups before and after intervention. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 21.0 statistical software.Results37 of 46 RA patients eventually completed the whole treatment course. Compared with the control group, the treatment group significantly improved the clinical symptoms (P < 0.05) but with no significant differences in RA-associated serum markers (P > 0.05). There were significant differences in TNF-α and IL-1β among the groups after 8 weeks of treatment (P < 0.05). HIF-1α and VEGF were decreased in the treatment group after therapy (P < 0.05). VEGF was reduced in the control group (P < 0.05), while HIF-1α was not significantly improved (P > 0.05). The reductions of HIF-1α and VEGF in the treatment group were superior to the control group (P < 0.05).ConclusionsMoxibustion enhanced the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of conventional medicine and can enhance the effect of conventional medicine, downregulating HIF-1α/VEGF contents to inhibit angiogenesis.Copyright © 2019 Yuanyuan Gong et al.

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