Enhanced expression of epidermal growth factor receptor gene in gastric mucosal cells by the serum derived from rats treated with electroacupuncture at stomach meridian acupoints.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of serum derived from rats treated with electroacupuncture at stomach meridian acupoints on the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene in gastric mucosal cells.


METHODS
The stress-induced gastric mucosal injury in rat model was established by water-immersion and restrained stress methods. 52 rats were randomly divided into: normal group (n = 8), model group (n = 8), model serum group (n = 12), stomach serum group (n = 12), and gallbladder serum group (n = 12). The gastric mucosal cells were separated by pronase-EDTA digestion method and incubated with serum. The EGFR gene expression in gastric mucosal cells was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method.


RESULTS
Compared with normal group (0.6860 +/- 0.0594), the serum derived from rats of the stomach group (1.2272 +/- 0.0813, P = 0.00 < 0.01) and gallbladder group (0.9640 +/- 0.0387, P = 0.00 < 0.01) had a tendency to enhance the EGFR gene expression in gastric mucosal cells. Such tendency existed in the model group (0.7104 +/- 0.0457) but with no significant difference (P = 0.495 > 0.05) and in model serum group (0.8516 +/- 0.0409) with an extremely obvious difference (P = 0.001 < 0.01). Furthermore, the EGFR gene expression in stomach serum group was significantly higher than that in gallbladder serum group (P = 0.00 < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The present study shows that serum derived from rats treated with electroacupuncture at stomach meridian acupoints can distinctly increase the EGFR gene expression of gastric mucosal cells. Therefore, there is certain meridian specificity in the serum, which could provide a proof for the TCM theory "particular relation between meridian and internal organ".
Yang
Zong-Bao
ZB
College of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410007, Hunan Province, China.
Yan
Jie
J
Zou
Xiao-Ping
XP
Yi
Shou-Xiang
SX
Chang
Xiao-Rong
XR
Lin
Ya-Ping
YP
Li
Xi-Ping
XP
D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000818:Animals; D015671:Electroacupuncture / Q000379:methods*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D044967:Serum / Q000502:physiology*; D013270:Stomach / Q000294:innervation*
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D066246:ErbB Receptors