Effect and Mechanism of Moxibustion on Acupoints Zusanli （ST 36） and Liangmen （ST 21） in the Prevention and Treatment of Stress Ulcer

目的观察艾灸足三里等穴对应激性溃疡大鼠胃粘膜细胞增殖及凋亡的影响,探讨艾灸促进胃粘膜损伤修复的细胞分子生物学机制.方法60只SD大鼠随机分为4组,即束缚对照组、模型组、艾灸足三里和梁门穴组和艾灸非穴对照点组.束缚水浸应激法制备胃溃疡模型,放射免疫方法测定胃粘膜转化生长因子(TGF-α)的含量,免疫组织化学方法检测HSP70蛋白,胃粘膜增殖细胞核抗原(PCNA)及细胞凋亡指数.结果束缚水浸应激法造模后可致胃粘膜损伤指数升高,胃粘膜TGF-α含量下降;PCNA下降,HSP70蛋白增加;细胞凋亡指数增加(P＜0.01).艾灸足三里和梁门可降低胃粘膜损伤指数,增加胃粘膜TGF-α含量,促进HSP70和PCNA的表达,降低胃粘膜细胞凋亡指数,与模型组和对照组比较有显著性差异(P＜0.01).结论艾灸足三里和梁门对应激性溃疡胃粘膜具有保护作用,机制可能是促进TGF-α合成、刺激胃粘膜细胞增殖、抑制细胞凋亡,而这一过程与艾灸诱导HSP70表达有关.

Effect and mechanism of moxibustion on acupoints Zusanli (ST 36) and Liangmen (ST 21) in the prevention and treatment of stress ulcer

Objective To observe the effect of moxibustion on acupoints Zusanli (ST 36) and Liangmen (ST 31) on cell proliferation and cell apoptosis of gastric mucosa in rats with stress ulcer, investigatethe mechanism of moxibustion in promoting the repair of gastric mucosal injury at cellular and molecular levels. Methods Sixty healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups: the restraint control group, model group, moxibustion on acupoints group and moxibustion on non-acupoints group. Water immersion and restraint stress (WRS) was used to copy the stress ulcer model of rats, radio-immunoassay was used to detect the content of transforming growth factor (TGF-α), and S-P immunohistochemical assay was adopted to determine the HSP70 expression, the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and cell apoptosis index in gastric mucosa. Results For the WRS-induced gastric ulcer model of rat, the gastric mucosal injury (gastric ulcer index, UI) was increased, the content of TGF-α was decreased, PCNA was also decreased, HSP70 expression and cell apoptosis index were all increased (P<0.01). Moxibustion on acupoints Zusanli (ST 36) and Liangmen (ST 31) could decrease UI, increase the content of TGF-α, promote the expression of PCNA and HSP70, decrease cell apoptosis index in gastric mucosa, with significant differences when compared with the model group and control group (P<0.01). Conclusions Moxibustion on acupoints Zusanli (ST 36) and Liangmen (ST 31) had protective effect on the gastric mucosa of stress ulcer, its mechanism may be promoting the TGF-α synthesis, stimulating cell proliferation in gastric mucosa and inhibiting cell apoptosis in gastric mucosa, and this process is related to the moxibustion-induced HSP70 expression. Foundation Project: National 973 Program (National Basic Research Program of China) — Basic Research Program of TCM theory (No.2005CB523306-9) and General project of Education Office of Hu’nan province (05C381)