Clinical practice has shown that acupuncture at facial acupoints has curative effects onsome visceral diseases (especially gastrointestinal diseases). However, the physiological basis has not been clarified yet. In the present study, expression of c-fos in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) of rats following gastric distension and electroacupuncture (EA) at Yangbai (GB14) and Sibai (ST2) as well as Jiache (ST6) acupoints was observed by using immunohistochemistry technique. After EA at the three facial acupoints, c-fos immunoreactive (c-fos-IR) neurons were mainly distributed in the medial (mNTS) and intermediate subnucleus of the NTS, and a few were scatteredly distributed in the dorsalmedial and commissural subnucleus of the NTS. Furthermore, there is difference in the number of c-fos-IR neurons in the mNTS following EA at the three facial acupoints. The number in the EA at ST2 and GB14 group is the highest and the lowest, respectively. Gastric distension induces obviously the expression of c-fos, which is mainly confined in the mNTS. The results suggest that the noxious visceral and somatic afferent information from the stomach and face may converge in the mNTS, which may be involved in the effect of EA at facial acupoints on the gastrointestinal pain.

Acupuncture has been widely applied to treat gastrointestinal diseases in the clinic. However, its precise mechanism remains unknown. In the present study, effects of electroacupuncture (EA) at Zusanli acupoints (ST36) on gastric myoelectric activity and substance P (SP) in the dorsal vagal complex (DVC) were observed. EA at ST36 significantly increased the frequency of slow waves and the frequency of the spike potentials superimposed on the slow waves, which persisted for 90 min after cessation of EA and was completely abolished after bilateral vagotomy. Meanwhile, the mean optical density of SP immunoreactive fibers in the DVC increased following EA. The results suggested that EA at ST36 promoted the gastric myoelectric activity, which was regulated by the vagus, and SP in the DVC may be involved in the excitatory effects. Furthermore, EA had a relative long-term post-effect. We presumed that DVC may be a supraspinal center in the effect of EA on gastric function. q 2003 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Objective：To study the effect of medicinal herb-cake-separated moxibustion on serum lipoprotein levels in hyperlipemia rabbits. Methods: A total of 55 New-Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into control group (n=13), model group (n=14) and medicinal herb-cake-separated moxibustion (indirect moxibustion) group (n=14). Hyperlipemia model was established by feeding the animals with specialized forage (15% vitellus powder, 5% cholesterol and common forage )for 6 weeks. Moxibustion was applied to “Juque”(CV14), “Tianshu”(ST40), etc, 4 moxa-cones for every acupoint, once daily and continuously for 40 days. Serum triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TCH) contents were assayed with colorimentric method. Results:Compared with control group, TCh and TG levels of model group increased significantly (p<0.01). TCh and TG contents of direct moxibustion and indirect moxibustion groups were significantly lower than those of model group (p<0.01).Comparison between two moxibustion groups showed that serum TCh level of indirect moxibustion group was strikingly lower than that of direct moxibustion group (p<0.01). It indicated that both direct and indirect moxibustion could effectively lower hyperlipemia and the therapeutic effect of indirect moxibustion was significantly superior to that of direct moxibustion in lowering serum TCh level. Conclusion: Both direct and indirect moxibustion canregulate lipid metabolism and the therapeutic effect of medicinal herb-cake-separated moxibustion is superior to that of direction moxibustion in hyperlipemia rabbits.

expression in gastric mucosal cells. Such tendency existed in the model group (0.7104 ± 0.0457) but with no signifi cant 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). CONCLUSION: The present study shows that serum derived from rats treated with electroacupuncture atstomach 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”.

AIM: To investigate electroacupunture(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 signify cance 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 signficant 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). CONCLUSION: 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 specifi city exists. It could be one proof for the TCM theory “Relative particularity between SMFY and stomach”.

目的比较电针足阳明、足少阳经穴对实验性胃溃疡大鼠胃黏膜损伤修复作用的异同，探讨足阳明经与胃相关的特异性及电针足阳明经穴对胃黏膜损伤细胞修复作用的可能机制。方法将40只大鼠随机分为空白组、模型组、胃经组、胆经组。造模采用水浸束缚法。实验结束后取血清及胃黏膜组织，采用放射免疫分析法测定表皮生长因子（EGF）、转化生长因子α（TGF-α）含量，采用逆转录-聚合酶链反应法（RT-PCR法）分析胃黏膜EGFRmRNA表达。结果电针足阳明经穴均能使胃黏膜损伤指数显著降低，能显著升高胃黏膜EGF、TGF-α含量；电针上调EGFRmRNA在胃黏膜的表达水平，其中以足阳明经穴组作用最强，与足少阳经组比较差异显著。结论电针足阳明经穴对大鼠胃黏膜损伤的细胞修复作用是通过促进EGF、TGF-α等相关因子的合成、分泌与释放实现的；增强EGFRmRNA在胃黏膜局部的表达，可能是电针足阳明经穴对大鼠胃黏膜损伤修复作用的另一机制；足阳明经与胃具有相对的特异性。

AIM：To explore the regularity of multi-meridians controlling a same viscus (MMCSV) METHODS: The rabbit gastric ulcer model was established by ethanol intragastric instillation. Fifty-six rabbits were randomly divided into normal group (NG), model group (MG), model plus acupuncture at Foot Yangming Meridian group (YMG), model plus acupuncture at Foot Taiyin Meridian group (TYG), model plus acupuncture at Foot Shaoyang Meridian group (SYG), model plus acupuncture at Foot Jueyin Meridian group (JYG), model plus acupuncture at Foot Taiyang Meridian group (TYMG), 8 rabbits each group. Gastric mucosal nitric oxide (NO) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) were assayed by the nitric acid reductase method, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) were measured by radioimmunoassay. The comprehensive effects were analyzed by weighting method. RESULTS: Compared to MG, SYG, JYG and TYMG, the rabbits gastric mucosal injury index (GMII) reduced very significantly in YMG (P<0.01). And compared to MG, the GMII also reduced significantly in TYG (P<0.05). NO, NOS, PGE2 and EGF increased very significantly in YMG (P<0.01). The EGF in YMG also increased significantly than that in TYG compared to those in MG, SYG, JYG and TYMG（P<0.05）. The PGE2 and EGF also increased very significantly in TYG than those in MG, JYG and TYMG (P<0.01). While compared to SYG, the NOS increased significantly in TYG (P<0.05). NOS was the highest in YMG (P<0.01), and was higher in TYG than in MG (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: MMCSV is common. The Foot Yangming Meridian is most closely related to the stomach, followed by Foot Taiyin Meridian, Foot Shaoyang Meridian and Foot Jueyin Meridian. Foot Taiyang Meridian has no correlation with the stomach.

This study was performed to explore the effect and significance of gastric mucosal histology and ITF mRNA in stress-related rats with lectroacupuncture (EA) on the stomach channel and gallbladder channel. Forty rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: blank control group, model control group, Stomach Meridian of Foot-Yangming(SMFY) group, Gallbladder Meridian of Foot-Shaoyang (GMFY) group. After some procedures, all rats (except normal group) were made model by WRS on day 7. Then the gastric mucosa tissure of each rat was taken off after assessment of gastric mucosal lesion index(GUI), and half of above tissue in each group of was detected the expression of ITF mRNA by Reverse-transcriptase- polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) method, meanwhile the gastric mucosal ulcer index（UI） and the histological change and degree of injury of gastric mucosa were observed grossly under light microscope or magnifier. As a result, the UI value in SMFY/ GMFY group decreased obvious or extremly obvious（P﹤ 0.05 or 0.01）; EA had a tendency of improving: The level of ITF mRNA expression of SMFY group was strongly higher than that of model group(P﹤0.01), while that of GMFY group was high than model group but no statistic difference(P﹥0.05); Mucosal hyperaemia and edema but little hemorrhage and gastric ulcer could be observed in group with EA under light microscope, and that of SMFY group was more significant than GMFY. The difference effect of gastric mucosal protection by EA on stomach channel and gallbladder channel, was related to the expression variance of intestinal trefoil factor.