title: Effect of electroacupunture on gastric mucosal intestinal trefoil factor gene expression of stress-induced gastric mucosal injury in rats.
abstract: 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".
authors.affiliation: Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410007, Hunan Province, China.
authors.forename: Xi-Ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Shou-Xiang
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Xiao-Rong
authors.initials: XR
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Ya-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Zong-Bao
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ai
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000071164:Trefoil Factor-2