The study reported here was undertaken to elucidate the action mechanism of moxibustion from the point of view of the blood coagulation and fibrinolytic activities.
Single stimulations at the right and left Chimen (KIMON) of male ddY strain 6 weeks old mice were made by using 15mg of moxa divided into 6 cones. Blood coagulation and fibrinolytic activities were determined at 1, 3, 24, 48, 72 and 168 (7 days) hours after moxibustion.
The increase of maximal amplitude (ma) of thrombelastography (TEG) and the reduction of coagulation time were observed during 1 to 168 hours. The increase of ma and the reduction of reaction time (r) of TEG at 1 and 3 hours, and reduction of plasma recalcification time at 24 hours, partial thromboplastin time at 3 hours and prothrombin time at 72 hours were significant compared with the values of intact normal mice. But these values of TEG and coagulation time were all in the normal range.
On the other hand, the increase of eugloblin lysis time (ELT) were observed at 1 hour, but at 3 to 168 hours, ELT values were reduced. And these activated tendency of plasminogen activator persisted for a period of 7 days.
These results suggest that the single moxibustion stimulation to Chimen induce some effect on the activities of some plasma proteins which concern the blood coagulation-fibrinolytic system.