Abstract
Effects of moxibustion on cutaneous blood vessels and microvascular permeability have been studied in ddY mice. Moxa was divided into 1, 2, and 5mg cones, and each weight of cone was burned on the shaved abdominal skin of a mouse. After moxibustion, the small venulae at the sites under the moxibustion spots contracted, whereas those around the edges of the moxibustion dilated. The area of blue dye-diffusion into the abdominal skin and muscle increased dose-dependently after graded doses of moxibustion (1, 2, 5mg of moxa/mouse) . This enhancement of vascular permeability coincided with mast cell degranulation induced by moxibustion. Moreover, pretreatment with diphenhydramine, an H1-receptor antagonist, significantly reduced the amounts of dye diffused by moxibustion. Electron-microscope observation after intravenous injection of carbon revealed no apparent openings of the endothelial intercellular junctions at 30 and 180 min after moxibustion, although many carbon particles could be seen between the endothelial cells and pericytes. In addition, many vesicles with carbon-like particles were observed in the endothelial cells of moxibustion treated mice. Therefore, it is possible that leakage of carbon from the blood vessels occurs via small vesicles through endothelial cells after moxibustion. This investigation demonstrated that moxibustion induces some kind of inflammatory response, that can be considered to be a host defense mechanism.
