Effect of electroacupunture on gastric mucosal intestinal trefoil factor gene expression of stress-induced gastric mucosal injury in rats.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate electroacupuncture(EA) at the acupoints of Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming (SMFY), Gallbladder Meridian of Foot-Yangming (SMFY) on gastric mucosal intestinal trefoil factor (ITF) gene expression detection in stress-induced rats with gastric mucosal lesion, and to explore the regulatory mechanism and significance of EA-related gastric mucosal protective effect.


METHODS
Forty rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: Blank group, Model group, Model group+EA at acupoints of SMFY group ("SMFY group"), and Model group+EA at acupoints of GMFY group(GMFY group). All rats (except blank group) were made model by water immersion and restraint stress (WRS). Then the gastric mucosa tissue in each rat was taken off after assessment of gastric mucosal lesion index(GUI), and the expression of ITF mRNA of the tissues was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method.


RESULTS
Compared with Model group(54.3+/- 1.34), the GUI value in SMFY group (31+/- 2.21) decreased significantly(P< 0.01), so did that in GMFY group (39.8+/- 1.62, P< 0.05), meanwhile GUI value in SMFY group was significantly lower than in GMFY group(P< 0.01). Compared with Model group (0.65+/- 0.01), EA had a tendency to improve the expression of gastric mucosal ITFmRNA gene: such tendency existed in GMFY group (0.66+/- 0.01) but with no significant difference(P>0.05), in SMFY group(0.76+/- 0.01) with an extremely obvious difference (P< 0.01), furthermore the expression in SMFY group was significantly higher than in GMFY group (P< 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The gastric mucosal protective effect by EA at the acupoints of SMFY and GMFY was related to the expression variance of ITF, indicating certain meridian specificity exists. It could be one proof for the TCM theory "Relative particularity between SMFY and stomach".
Li
Xi-Ping
XP
Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410007, Hunan Province, China.
Yan
Jie
J
Yi
Shou-Xiang
SX
Chang
Xiao-Rong
XR
Lin
Ya-Ping
YP
Yang
Zong-Bao
ZB
Huang
Ai
A
Hu
Rong
R
D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000818:Animals; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008297:Male; D010455:Peptides / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D000071164:Trefoil Factor-2
D010455:Peptides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000071164:Trefoil Factor-2