Effect of Electroacupuncture on Hypothalamic and Hippocampal Expressions of Ghrelin and Ghrelin Receptor mRNA in Functional Dyspepsia Rats / 上海针灸杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture on hypothalamic and hippocampal expressions of ghrelin and ghrelin receptor (GHS-R) mRNA in functional dyspepsia (FD) rats. Methods Eighty SD rats were randomly allocated to normal control, model control, medication and electroacupuncture groups, 20 rats each. A rat model of FD was made by tail clamp modeling method. The medication group received an oral gavage of cisapride solution and the electroacupuncture group, electroacupuncture treatment. The expressions of ghrelin protein and GHS-R mRNA in the hypothalamus and hippocampus were examined by Western blot and real-time PCR, respectively, in all the four groups. Results Compared with the model control group of rats, the expression of ghrelin protein in the hypothalamus and the expression of GHS-R mRNA in the hypothalamus and hippocampus increased in the medication group (P<0.05) and the expressions of ghrelin protein and GHS-R mRNA in the hypothalamus and hippocampus were up-regulated in the electroacupuncture group (P<0.05). Compared with the medication group of rats, the expressions of ghrelin protein and GHS-R mRNA in the hippocampus were up-regulated in the electroacupuncture group (P<0.05). Conclusions Electroacupuncture and medication can improve gastrointestinal functions and correct an imbalance in the brain-gut axis through the hippocampus-hypothalamic pathway by regulating hypothalamic and hippocampal ghrelin protein and GHS-R mRNA contents and activating hypothalamic neurons and hippocampal excitatory synapses.