Effects of acupuncture and moxibustion on UHRF1 and DNMT1 in ectopic endometrium of rats with endometriosis

Objective To observe the effects of acupuncture and moxibustion on ubiquitin-like containing PHD and RING finger domains 1 (UHRF1) and DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) in ectopic endometrium of rats with endometriosis (EMS). Methods Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group with 10 rats and a model-building group with 30 rats according to body mass. EMS rat models were established in the model-building group and then were divided into a model group, an acupuncture and moxibustion group, and a progesterone group, with 10 rats in each group. All rats were fixed by a fixator. The sham operation group and the model group were given normal saline by gavage. The acupuncture and moxibustion group received acupuncture at Xuehai (SP10) and Sanyinjiao (SP6), moxibustion at Guanyuan (CV4), and gavage of normal saline. The progesterone group was given the mixed liquid made of dydrogesterone and normal saline by gavage. After 28 d of treatments, the three diameters (length, width, and height) of EMS rats’ ectopic cysts were measured, the cyst volumes were calculated, the volumes before intervention were subtracted, and the difference values were used to evaluate the growth of ectopic cysts. UHRF1 and DNMT1 mRNA and protein levels in normal endometrium, eutopic endometrium, and ectopic endometrium were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. Results There was no significant difference in the ectopic cyst volume difference between the acupuncture and moxibustion group and the progesterone group ( P >0.05), but they were smaller than that of the model group ( P <0.05). The levels of UHRF1 and DNMT1 mRNA and protein in the ectopic endometrium of the model group were lower than those in the normal endometrium ( P <0.05). The levels of DNMT1 mRNA and UHRF1 protein in the eutopic endometrium of the model group were lower than those in the normal endometrium ( P <0.05). The levels of UHRF1 mRNA and protein and the level of DNMT1 protein in the ectopic endometrium of the acupuncture and moxibustion group were higher than those in the model group ( P <0.05), and the level of UHRF1 mRNA was higher than that in the progesterone group ( P <0.05). The level of DNMT1 mRNA in the eutopic endometrium of the acupuncture and moxibustion group was higher than that in the model group ( P <0.05). The levels of UHRF1 and DNMT1 mRNA and protein in the acupuncture and moxibustion group were insignificantly different from those in the normal endometrium ( P >0.05). Conclusion Acupuncture and moxibustion may up-regulate the levels of UHRF1 mRNA and UHRF1 and DNMT1 proteins in the ectopic endometrium to the normal level so as to reduce the volume of ectopic cysts and cure endometriosis in rats.