[Effect of moxibustion combined with benazepril on expression of IL-18 and phosphorylated protein kinase B in myocardial tissue of rats with chronic heart failure].

OBJECTIVE

To observe the effect of moxibustion combined with benazepril on cardiac function and expression levels of myocardial interleukin-18(IL-18), phosphorylated protein kinase B(p-Akt) in rats with chronic heart failure (CHF), so as to explore its underlying mechanisms in improvement of CHF.

METHODS

Fifty male rats were randomly divided into normal, model, moxibustion, benazepril and moxibustion+benazepril groups (=10 rats per group). The CHF model was established by intraperitoneal injection of doxorubicin hydrochloride solution (DOX, 2.5 mg/kg) twice a week for 4 weeks. After successful modeling, the rats in the normal and model groups were fed with normal diet, and fixed on a rat plate for 20 min each time without any treatment. Mild moxibustion was applied to bilateral "Feishu" (BL13) and "Xinshu" (BL15) for 20 min each time, for 3 weeks in the moxibustion and moxibustion+benazepril groups. Rats of the benazepril and moxibustion+benazepril groups received gavage of benazepril (2 mg/kg) once daily for 3 weeks. The general behaviors of rats were observed. The ejection fraction (EF), left ventricular diameter shortening (FS), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVIDd), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVIDs), heart rate (HR) and ventricular septal thickness (IVS) were examined by echocardiography. The content of serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and expression levels of myocardial IL-18, p-Akt were detected by Western blot.

RESULTS

Compared with the normal group, the EF, FS, IVS, and myocardial p-Akt expression level were significantly reduced (<0.01), and the LVIDd, LVIDs, HR, and serum NT-proBNP content and myocardial IL-18 expression level were significantly increased in the model group (<0.01). In comparison with the model group, the EF, FS, IVS, and myocardial p-Akt were remarkably up-regulated (<0.05, <0.01), and the LVIDd, LVIDs, HR, serum NT-proBNP content, and myocardial IL-18 expression level were significantly down-regulated (<0.05, <0.01) in the moxibustion, benazepril, and moxibustion+benazepril groups. Compared with the moxibustion+benazepr group, the levels of LVIDs, HR, serum NT-proBNP and myocardial IL-18 expression were obviously higher (<0.05, <0.01), while the levels of EF, FS, IVS and p-Akt were significantly lower in the moxibustion and benazepril groups (<0.01).

CONCLUSION

Moxibustion combined with benazepril improves cardiac function in CHF rats, and is superior to simple moxibustion and simple benazepril in reducing IL-18 expression and increasing p-Akt expression in myocardial tissue.