Effect Study of Moxibustion and Moxa Smoke on Mitochondrial Dynamics in ApoE−/− Mice

Objective: This study sought to investigate how moxibustion and moxa smoke modulate mitochondrial dynamics, with a specific emphasis on elucidating their potential mechanisms for attenuating atherosclerosis (AS) progression. Materials and Methods: ApoE −/− mice ( n = 15/group) comprised the AS model, moxibustion intervention, and moxa smoke exposure groups, whereas age-matched C57BL/6J mice served as wild-type controls. The control and model groups were not treated. Moxibustion-treated ApoE −/− mice underwent acupoint-specific stimulation targeting the Danzhong acupoint, whereas the control cohort was subjected to standardized moxa smoke inhalation at concentrations maintained between 10 and 15 mg/m 3 . The therapeutic regimen consisted of 20-min daily exposures administered six times weekly. After 14 weeks, aortas were collected for hematoxylin and eosin staining. Aortic tissue lysates were subjected to quantitative immunoblotting to determine the relative abundance of mitochondrial fusion/fission regulators, including mitofusin-1 (Mfn1), Mfn2, optic atrophy 1 (OPA1), dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), and mitochondrial fission protein 1(Fis1). The transcriptional activity of the mitochondrial dynamics regulators Mfn2, OPA1, and Fis1 in aortic tissues was systematically analyzed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (SYBR Green system) with glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase normalization. Results: The mice in the model group showed severe atherosclerotic plaque formation. Meanwhile, mitochondrial dynamics were imbalanced owing to the overexpression of mitochondrial fission proteins and related mRNA. When ApoE −/− mice received moxibustion and moxa smoke intervention, the levels of fusion proteins and related mRNA increased, and the fission proteins and their relative mRNA decreased. Conclusions: Moxibustion and moxa smoke were able to reduce the area of atherosclerotic plaque, and the beneficial effects may be mediated by the mitochondrial dynamics system, with moxibustion being better than moxa smoke, according to this study.