Toxicology Experiment Of Moxa Smoke And Its Safety Evaluation

Objective:To make clear the toxicity grade of moxa smoke, to observe the gross impact to tissues and organs of rats in acute toxicology test. To observe the impact to the weight, food consumption, organ coefficient, blood routine, liver and kidney function, serum SOD and MDA of rats; as well as the impact to the expression of lung HSP70, Caspase-9in the sub-chronic toxicological experiment of moxa smoke, and to give primary safety assessment.Method:40SPF SD rats were randomly divided into5groups in acute toxicology experiment, rats were exposed for4hours by inhalation with different moxa smoke dose. The common situation about inhalation test and death were observed, and LC50was calculated.160SPF SD rats were randomly divided into4groups (moxa smoke groups:A. high moxa smoke group, B.middle moxa smoke group, C.little moxa smoke group; and D.normal control group) in sub-chronic toxicology experiment. Moxa smoke groups were exposed by moxa smoke inhalation6h/d,5d/wk for3mo in different moxa smoke dose, normal control group was with no treatment. Immediately after the inhalation and after1mo recovery, half of the rats in different groups were dissected and the corresponding indicators were measured. During the inhalation, general physiological indexes such as weight, food consumption and organ coefficient were observed and analyzed. During the inhalation oxygen concentration was also examined.Result:1. LC50=12366.59mg/m3, There is slight toxicity of moxa smoke according to the toxicity classification standard of WHO. 2. There was not significant difference in the weight of both male rats and female rats between different groups except individual period. There was also not significant difference in food consumption between different groups except individual period. There was not significant difference in the organ coefficient of both male rats and female rats between different groups after the inhalation and after1mo recovery.3. The indexes of blood routine, liver and kidney function, serum SOD and MDA of rats waved in the normal ranges respectively after the contamination and after1mo recovery; there was no significant difference in pathologic biopsy between groups, there was also no significant difference in the same group after the inhalation and after1mo recovery. Except that mean gray degree of lung HSP70in A group was significantly higher than that in D group (p<0.05), mean gray degree, mean optical density, gross area of HSP70and Caspase-9in other groups had no significant difference between groups, there was also no significant difference in the same group after the inhalation and after1mo recovery.Conclusion:1. There is slight toxicity of moxa smoke according to the toxicity classification standard of WHO.2. In the sub-chronic toxicological experiment, the impact to the general physiological indexes such as weight, food consumption and organ coefficient is not obvious. And the impact to the blood routine, liver and kidney function, SOD, MDA and lung Caspase-9of rats is also not obvious in the sub-chronic toxicology experiment in different moxa smoke doses. Influence to the expression of lung HSP70was sure but slight. It suggested that rats had no obvious toxic effect to rats in vivo.3. It also suggested that the common environment of moxibustion was safe to people.