Effects Of Moxibustion Promoting Repair Of Gastric Mucosa In Rats With Stress-induced Gastric Mucosal Lesions And Its ERK Signaling Transduction Mechanism

AIM:To explore the molecular biology basis of the theory on disease prevention and health protection of moxibustion and to confirm the reparation that moxibustion pretreatment encourages the gastric mucosa cell proliferation in the rats with stress-induced gastric mucosal lesions by observing the reparation effects of moxibustion pretreatment at model rats with impaired gastric mucosa, the contents of EGF and TGF-αin blood serum and gastric mucosa of rats, the related substances of proliferation and reparation(TFF1, MT, HSP70, PCNA) and the expression of key factors(EGFR, p-ERK1/2, AP-1) in ERK signal transduction pathway.Methods:SD rats were randomly allocated to blank, model, acupoints moxibustion and non-acupoints moxibustion groups. The animal model of rats with stress-induced impaired gastric mucosa was established by water immersion and restraint stress (WRS). The pre-moxibustions at acupoints Zusanli, Zhongwan, Pishu and Weishu were used as the test factors.The damage index of gastric mucosa was recorded by Guth Standard, the histomorphologic changes were observed under the light microscope. The contents of EGF and TGF-ain blood serum were detected by radioimmunoassay.The contents of EGF, TGF-α, TFF1, MT, HSP70 and PCNA in gastric mucosa were detected by euzymelinked immunosorbent assay. The expressions of EGFR, p-ERK1/2 and AP-1 proteinum were detected by Western blot and immunohistochemical method. Results:(1)After modeled, the damage index of gastric mucosa of the model group was the highest and the lowest was the normal group. The great significantly difference (P<0.01) between these two groups illustrated that WRS model was successful; The damage index of gastric mucosa of the moxibution at acupoints group significantly decreased, which was great significantly different from that of the normal group and the moxibution at non-acupoints group (P<0.01).(2)The contents of EGF, TGF-αin blood serum and gastric mucosa of model rats was increased by moxibustion at "Zusanli" and "Zhongwan", which was obviously higher than that by normal group and moxibution group at non-acupoints (p<0.05 or p<0.01)(3)The contents of TFF1; MT, HSP70 and PCNA in gastric mucosa of model rats was increased by moxibustion at "Zusanli" and "Zhongwan", a great quantity of the expression of HSP70 was induced as well, which was obviously higher than that in normal group and moxibution at non-acupoints group (p< 0.05 or p<0.01)(4)The expression of EGFR, p-ERK1/2 and AP-1 in gastric mucosa cells of model rats was up-regulated by moxibustion at "Zusanli" and "Zhongwan", which was very significantly different from that in normal group and moxibution at non-acupoints group (P<0.01).Conclusion:(1)Pre-moxibustion which has relative point speciality can improve the histomorphology and depress the damage index of gastric mucosa of model rats.(2)Pre-moxibustion can up-regulate the content of EGF, TGF-αin blood serum and gastric mucosa of model rats and encourage, the cell multiplication and the tissue repair.(3)Pre-moxibustion can provocate endogenous protective mechanism and promote the immunity in organism by up-regulating the expression of HSP70 and MT in model rats, which lay a certain substantial foundation for the force-protection of moxibustion.(4)Pre-moxibustion can up-regulate the expression of relative substances TFF1 and PCNA and encourage reparation of cell multiplication in gastric mucosa of model rats, the mechanism of which is related with that Moxibustion can up-regulate the expression of HSP70 in gastric mucosa.(5)Pre-moxibustion can encourage reparation of cell multiplication in gastric mucosa of model rats by up-regulating key factors, such as EGFR, p-ERK1/2 and AP-1 in the signal transduction pathway of ERK.(6) The protection of moxibustion for gastric mucosa is of certain point speciality, which reflects the "Comprehensive Effect" consequence of Moxibustion-Acupoint-Meridian.