The Effects of Moxibustion on Ulcerative Colitis

Efficacy of Moxibustion Treatment on Patients With Ulcerative Colitis

To investigate the mechanism and effects of moxibustion on patients with ulcerative colitis.

A total of 60 patients with UC were randomly divided into the following 2 groups: a) Herb-partition moxibustion (Treatment Group) and b) Sham herb-partition moxibustion (Control Group). All patients in the trial will be treated with moxibustion 3 times a week, once a day for 30 minutes, for a total of 12 weeks. MRI will be used to observe the changes on brain structure and function in patients with UC, and further research on the characteristics of the brain nerve response of these patients with herb-partition moxibustion. In addition, tissue morphology and molecular biology tests will be conducted to observe the regulation and expression of VDR and antimicrobial peptides in the intestinal mucosa of UC patients. All these steps will be done in order to provide experimental basis for the mechanism of the effects of herb-partition moxibustion in the treatment of UC.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Meet the diagnosis of UC
• Mayo ≤10
• Patients do not receive any medicine, or if they are receiving medicine, it should be aminosalicylates and/or prednisone (dose ≤15mg and have taken at least 1 month), and must kept the same dose as before throughout the trial;
• Patients should have not received antibiotic, biologicals within 3 months prior to entering the study;
• Signing a written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with cardiac, encephalic, hepatic, nephric, hematopoietic system, psychotic or any other serious diseases;
• Pregnancy or lactation;
• The psychiatric patients;
• Current or prior history of neurosurgery, head injury, cerebrovascular insult, or brain trauma involving loss of consciousness;
• Learning disability;
• Claustrophobia;
• Presence of metallic implants in the body;