BI Dingyan，LIU Qiong，YIZhan，LI Dan，ZOU  Yifan，MAMingzhu，LIU Mi，CHANG Xiaorong

（Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Science and Education Park at Hanpu in Changsha City, Changsha 410208    ,China）

Abstract:  Objective:  To  observe  the  effect  of  herbal  cake-partitioned  moxibustion  on  the  expression  of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK1/2) and extracellular regulatory protein kinase (ERK1/2) in gastric tissues of rats with spleen deficiency syndrome, and to explore the possible mechanisms of herbal cakepartitioned moxibustion on the spleen deficiency syndrome. Methods: Sixty Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into a blank control group (group A), a model group (group B), a ranitidine group (group C), a herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group (group D), 15 rats in each group. Rat models of spleen deficiency syndrome were made by intragastric administration of 4  ℃  and 200% concentrated Da Huang (Radix et Rhizoma Rhei). After successful modeling, the rats in group C were treated with 25 mg/(kg·bw) ranitidine by intragastric adminstration and group D were treated with herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion at Zusanli (ST 36) and Zhongwan (CV 12), for 8 d. Excepted for rats in group A, all the other rats were treated with 5 mg/(kg·bw) of indomethacin at 8:00 a.m. on the second day after finishing all the intervention and sacrificed  after  7  h  to  isolate  the  stomach.  Histopathological  changes  of  the  rat  gastric  tissues  were observed under light microscope after hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The protein expressions of MEK1/2 and ERK1/2 in the rat gastric tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry. Results: After intervention, the gastric mucosal injury in group B was significantly severer than that in group A, with large breakage and ablating; the damage of gastric mucosa was decreased in group C compared  with group B; the rat gastric mucosal  surface  remained  relative  complete,  and  the  status  of  breakage  and  ablating  was  significantly improved. After intervention, compared with group A, the protein expressions of MEK1/2 and ERK1/2 in gastric  tissues  of  other  groups  were  significantly  higher  (P<0.01).  Compared  with  group  B,  the  protein expressions of MEK1/2 and ERK1/2 in group C and D were significantly higher (all P<0.01). Compared with group  C,  the  protein  expressions  of  MEK1/2  and  ERK1/2  in  group  D  were  significantly  higher 

(P<0.01).Conclusion: Herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion promotes the repair of gastric mucosa in rats with spleen deficiency syndrome, via improving protein expressions of MEK1/2 and ERK1/2 in gastric tissues, as well as activating MEK/ERK signaling pathway.

Key words: Science of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Moxibustion Therapy, Indirect Moxibustion,  Zusanli (ST 36), Zhongwan (CV 12), Research on Acupoints