Antioxidant effect of indirect moxibustion on healthy subjects: a pilot study.

Abstract Objective Moxibustion has long been thought to promote vital energy or immunity through clinical experience. This study aimed to investigate the clinical effects of indirect moxibustion on antioxidant and immunomodulation in a normal population. Methods Twenty-five healthy volunteers with no objective or subjective disorders were recruited. The participants were treated with indirect moxibustion on acupoints Guanyuan (CV 4) and Shenque (CV 8) three times per week for 4 weeks. The serum levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), the total antioxidant capacity (TAC), the activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and the total glutathione content were determined before and after the 12th moxibustion. Lymphocyte subpopulations and 42 cytokines in the peripheral blood were analyzed using flow cytometry and antibody array, respectively. Results Compared with the initial time point, the serum levels of ROS and MDA were significantly lowered by moxibustion, while TAC was increased ( P P Conclusion Indirect moxibustion on acupoints CV 4 and CV 8 improved the antioxidant defense system, which may be a mechanism explaining the clinical effects of moxibustion.