Biodegradation of benzo[a]pyrene by a marine Chlorella vulgaris LH-1 with heterotrophic ability.

In this study, a microalga, Chlorella vulgaris LH-1, with heterotrophic ability to degrade BaP was explored. The effect of BaP concentration on microalga growth was investigated, and the possible biodegradation mechanism of BaP was proposed. Results showed that low BaP concentration (<5 mg/L) had less negative influence on the growth of this microalga under mixotrophic condition, but high BaP concentration (>5 mg/L) had a significant inhibitory effect on its growth. During heterotrophic cultivation, low BaP concentration (<20 mg/L) promoted the growth of C. vulgaris LH-1, whereas high BaP concentration (>20 mg/L) inhibited its growth significantly. The degradation rates of mixotrophic and heterotrophic C. vulgaris LH-1 were 62.56 %-74.13 % and 52.07 %-71.67 %, respectively, when the BaP concentration ranged from 0.5 mg/L to 2 mg/L. The expression of functional enzyme genes of C. vulgaris LH-1 such as phenol 2-monooxygenase activity, protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase activity, catechol 1,2-dioxygenase activity, styrene degradation, and benzoate degradation were upregulated in the process of BaP degradation. C. vulgaris LH-1 may degrade BaP by monooxygenase and dioxygenase simultaneously. The degradation of BaP by this microalga under mixotrophic condition goes through the degradation pathway of phthalic acid, whereas it goes through the degradation pathway of benzoic acid under heterotrophic condition.

RNA-sequencing analysis reveals the co-biodegradation performance of crude oil by marine Chlorella vulgaris under norfloxacin stress.

In this study, the microalgal growth and crude oil (CRO) biodegradation by marine Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) were assessed under norfloxacin (NFX) stress. The presence of NFX negatively affected the bio-removal of CRO within 5 days, as the NFX concentration increased from 100 to 1600 µg/L, due to its toxicity as an antibiotic. However, its negative impact on the final degradation capabilities of C. vulgaris was less significant (P-value <0.05). After 9 days of cultivation, CRO bio-removal efficiencies still exceeded 90 %, while NFX bio-removal efficiencies maintained over 47 %. RNA-seq analysis revealed that the degradation of CRO and NFX was attributed to the combined action of functional genes involved in scavenging reactive oxygen species. The production of pigments and the bio-removal performance of C. vulgaris in CRO, NFX, and CRO & NFX coexistence media were consistent with the changes in the number of differentially expressed genes in these samples.

Fabrication of NiMn2O4/C hollow spheres with a trilaminar shell structure as an anode material for sodium-ion batteries.

NiMn2O4/C hollow spheres with sandwich-structured shells were fabricated by a hydrothermal method. Leveraging the mesoporous design of the carbon hollow spheres, NiMn2O4 nanosheets were evenly dispersed on both the inner and outer surfaces of the carbon shells. NiMn2O4/C demonstrated excellent rate capability and prolonged cycling durability for sodium ion storage.

Difference in Volatile Aroma Components of Stropharia rugosoannulata under Two Cultivated Environments Investigated by SPME-GC-MS.

In order to study the effect of both greenhouse and forest cultivating environments on Stropharia rugosoannulata, its volatile aroma compounds were measured by a headspace solid phase micro extractions-gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (SPME-GC-MS). The optimal adsorption temperature was 75 °C and the optimal adsorption time was 40 min. A total of 36 volatile aroma compounds were identified by GC-MS, including 8 aldehydes, 2 ketones, 4 alcohols, 15 alkenes, and 4 alkanes. Hexanal, 3-Octanone, 2-Undecanone, (E)-Nerolidol, and (Z)-ß-Farnesene made great aromatic contributions. Among them, Hexanal, 3-Octanone, 2-Undecanone were the key aroma compounds for which odor activity values (OAVs) were more than 1. (E)-Nerolidol showed odor modification in the forest samples and showed a key aroma effect in greenhouse samples. (Z)-ß-Farnesene showed odor modification in greenhouse samples. 3-Octanone was the largest contributing compound for which the OAV was more than 60. The total content of volatile aroma compounds first increased and then decreased with growth time; it reached the highest level at 48 h: 2203.7 ± 115.2 µg/kg for the forest environment and 4516.6 ± 228.5 µg/kg for the greenhouse environment. The aroma was the most abundant at this time. All samples opened their umbrella at 84 h and become inedible. Principal component analysis (PCA), hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were combined to analyze the aroma difference of S. rugosoannulata under two cultivation modes. PCA and HCA could effectively distinguish the aroma difference in different growth stages. Under different culturing methods, the aroma substances and their changes were different. The samples were divided into two groups for forest cultivation, while the samples were divided into three groups for greenhouse cultivation. At the end of growth, the aroma of S. rugosoannulata with the two cultivation modes was very similar. OPLS-DA clearly distinguished the differences between the two cultivation methods; 17 key aroma difference factors with variable importance projection (VIP) > 1 were obtained from SPLS-DA analysis.

Targeting Arginine Methyltransferase PRMT5 for Cancer Therapy: Updated Progress and Novel Strategies.

As a predominant type II protein arginine methyltransferase, PRMT5 plays critical roles in various normal cellular processes by catalyzing the mono- and symmetrical dimethylation of a wide range of histone and nonhistone substrates. Clinical studies have revealed that high expression of PRMT5 is observed in different solid tumors and hematological malignancies and is closely associated with cancer initiation and progression. Accordingly, PRMT5 is becoming a promising anticancer target and has received great attention in both the pharmaceutical industry and the academic community. In this Perspective, we comprehensively summarize recent advances in the development of first-generation PRMT5 enzymatic inhibitors and highlight novel strategies targeting PRMT5 in the past 5 years. We also discuss the challenges and opportunities of PRMT5 inhibition, with the aim of shedding light on future PRMT5 drug discovery.

Empathy of Marine Aquaculture on Aquatic Products Consumption.

The prolonged COVID-19 has caused a global lockdown and greatly impacts the supply chain and consumers' consumption behavior of aquatic products. Specifically, consumers' increasing awareness of environmental protection drives the marine aquaculture enterprises to supply green products and establish empathy with consumers in a bid to achieve sustainable consumption. This paper conducts a study on the international green marketing paths of marine aquatic products through PLS-SEM analysis of the 407 valid samples collected from the questionnaire survey. The findings indicate that empathy marketing has a significant positive effect on consumers' purchase intention; subjective norm has a significant positive effect on consumers' purchase intention. Additionally, perceived behavior control has a significant mediating effect between consumers' subjective norm and purchase intention; the consumption environment has a significant positive moderating effect on individual consumption intention. The study suggests that sustainable development can be further propelled by means of coordinating the consumers' awareness of ecological environment protection and their enhanced consumption intention.

Financial Crisis in Management Stress: From the Perspective of Crisis Anxiety of Others.

The crisis anxiety of others is a phenomenon that goes hand in hand with the spread of the occupational health pandemic. It is becoming increasingly important to better understand its emergence process, especially in the era of greater uncertainty. This study aims to examine the impact of the external financial crisis on managerial stress among financial employees. The sample consists of 347 senior managers and financial employees from companies in China. The empirical analysis shows that external financial crises have significant effects on anxiety levels, especially external corporate crisis, debt crisis and growth crisis both have mediating effect on the relationship between anxiety level and pressure management and the relationship between external financial crisis and pressure management. This study explores the rules for the emergence of anxiety among corporate managers and expands the scope of environmental factors that need to be discussed in the study of corporate financial management. This study provides theoretical implications for the psychological study of Financial Management and practical implications for corporate financial management.

[MA Hui-fang's experience in age-related macular degeneration treated with acupuncture at Jingming (BL 1)].

The paper introduces professor MA Hui-fang's experience in age-related macular degeneration treated with acupuncture at Jingming (BL 1). It is believed that the basic pathogenesis of this disease refers to liver and kidney insufficiency and weakness of spleen qi. Based on the academic ideas of yang qi and meridian-collateral system, the treatment principle is proposed as "invigorating yang qi, replenishing the liver and kidney and nourishing the spleen and stomach". Regarding acupoint selection, Jingming (BL 1) is specially used, combined with the 4 front-mu points (Zhongwan [CV 12], Guanyuan [CV 4] and bilateral Tianshu [ST 25]), as well as the empirical points for eye diseases (Jingming [BL 1], Baihui [GV 20] and Zulinqi [GB 41]). Concerning to needling technique, shuci (transport needling), fenci (intermuscular needling) and yuandaoci (distal needling) are dominated. Eventually, a set of unique therapeutic method has been accumulated through professor MA Hui-fang's clinical practice in treatment of age-related macular degeneration.

SARS-CoV-2 vaccine research and immunization strategies for improved control of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The record speed at which Chinese scientists identified severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and shared its genomic sequence with the world, has greatly facilitated the development of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) diagnostics, drugs, and vaccines. It is unprecedented in pandemic control history to develop a dozen successful vaccines in the first year and to immunize over half of the global population in the second year, due to the efforts of the scientific community, biopharmaceutical industry, and regulatory agencies worldwide. The challenges are both great and multidimensional due to the rapid emergence of virus variants and waning of vaccine immunity. Vaccination strategies need to adapt to these challenges to keep population immunity above the herd immunity threshold, by increasing vaccine coverage, especially for older adults and young people, and providing timely booster doses with homologous or heterologous vaccine boosts. Further research should be undertaken to develop more effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 variants and to understand the best prime-boost vaccine combinations and immunization strategies to provide sufficient and sustainable immune protection against COVID-19.

Extracellular vesicles extracted from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells carrying MicroRNA-342-3p inhibit the INHBA/IL13Rα2 axis to suppress the growth and metastasis of breast cancer.

Increasing focus has come to the role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in various cancers. Hence, we designed this study to explore the mechanism whereby microRNA-342-3p (miR-342-3p)-containing EVs derived from BMSCs might affect breast cancer. MCF-7 breast cancer cell line was co-incubated with the EVs isolated from rat BMSCs, followed by alteration of miR-342-3p and INHBA expression. Microarray-based analyses predicted a possible regulatory mechanism involving miR-342-3p, INHBA, and IL13Rα2 in breast cancer, which was verified by luciferase reporter, RNA pull-down, and RIP assays. Besides, in order to evaluate the effects of miR-342-3p on the biological features of breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, we employed the scratch assay, Transwell assay, CCK-8 assay, and nude mouse tumorigenicity assay. miR-342-3p carried by BMSC-EVs was transferred into breast cancer cells through co-culture, which inhibited the proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer cells in vitro. miR-342-3p downregulated the expression of INHBA, which further repressed the expression of IL13Rα2. Finally, the in vivo experimental results revealed the inhibitory role of miR-342-3p in tumor growth and metastasis in nude mice. To sum up, BMSC-EVs carrying miR-342-3p could prevent breast cancer growth and metastasis by downregulating the INHBA/IL13Rα2 axis, highlighting a potential target for anti-cancer treatment for breast cancer.

The value of tourism public opinion management in social governance: A study on the impact of electronic word-of-mouth perception on people's livelihood well-being.

In the process of tourism market upgrading and tourism iteration, tourism companies will face a more complex public opinion environment. Designing a socialized public opinion management method for tourism with social governance to improve people's livelihood and well-being has become the primary concern of the tourism industry. Therefore, the existing literature has extensively focused on the role and influence of public opinion word of mouth from the perspective of tourist or consumer behavior. However, moderating role of individual tourist characteristics and environmental elements has not yet been deeply explored. Therefore, integrating with the background of the social media, this study examines how electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) is related to the well-being of people's livelihood, and explores the interaction between individual characteristics and eWOM perception in Study 1. Furthermore, in Study 2, we provided novel boundary conditions, namely environmental elements (i.e., physical, social and historical environment). We used mixed methods (i.e., quantitative and experimental designs) to reveal that tourists' perceptions of eWOM have a significant positive effect on tourists' well-being experience. The results show that tourists' eWOM perception has a significant positive impact on their well-being experience. In addition, individual characteristics and environmental elements showed significant moderating effects between eWOM and well-being of people's livelihood. This study discusses the theoretical and practical implications, exploring the value of tourism public opinion management in social governance centered on tourists' eWOM perception, which helps tourism companies to effectively prevent and resolve risks affecting social harmony and stability in the field of cultural tourism and create a safe and stable cultural tourism market environment.

Curcumae Rhizoma: A botanical drug against infectious diseases.

Curcumae Rhizoma is the dry rhizome coming from Curcuma longa L. which grow widely in tropical south and southwest Asia. It has been used to treat conditions such as dermatoses, infections, stress, and depression. Moreover, in China, Curcumae Rhizoma and its active constituents have been made into different pharmaceutical preparations. Growing evidence suggests that these preparations can exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects, which may play crucial roles in the treatment of various diseases, including cancer, infectious-, autoimmune-, neurological-, and cardiovascular diseases, as well as diabetes. The anti-infective effect of Curcumae Rhizoma has become a popular field of research around the world, including for the treatment of COVID-19, influenza virus, hepatitis B virus, human immunodeficiency virus, and human papilloma virus, among others. In this paper, the basic characteristics of Curcumae Rhizoma and its active constituents are briefly introduced, and we also give an overview on their applications and mechanisms in infectious diseases.

[Effect of acupuncture on intestinal flora and TLR4 in brain and intestinal tissues in rats with stress gastric ulcer].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture at "Guanyuan" (CV 4) and "Xiajuxu" (ST 39) on intestinal flora and Toll-like receptors-4 (TLR4) in brain and intestinal tissue in rats with stress gastric ulcer (SGU), and to explore the possible mechanism of acupuncture for SGU. METHODS: Thirty-one male SD rats were randomly divided into a blank group (n=7), a model group (n=8), an acupuncture group (n=8) and a drug group (n=8). The rats in the model group, acupuncture group and drug group were treated with modified restraint plus water-immersion stress method to establish SGU model. After modeling, the rats in the acupuncture group were treated with acupuncture at "Guanyuan" (CV 4) and "Xiajuxu" (ST 39), 20 min each time, and the needles were twirled for 30 s every 5 min. The rats in the drug group were treated with intragastric administration of 2 mL omeprazole enteric-coated tablets (20 mg/mL). Both the treatments were given once a day for 5 days. After the intervention, the gastric mucosal damage index was calculated by Guth method; the morphological changes of gastric mucosa were observed by HE staining; the diversity of intestinal flora was detected by 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing; TLR4 contents in brain and intestinal tissues were determined by ELISA. RESULTS: Compared with the blank group, the gastric mucosal damage index was significantly increased in the model group (P<0.01); the morphological changes of gastric mucosa were obvious; the Observed Species index and Shannon index of α diversity index of intestinal flora were decreased (P<0.05); the ß diversity showed that the spatial distance between the model group and the blank group was far; the TLR4 contents in the brain and intestinal tissue were increased (P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the gastric mucosal damage index was decreased in the acupuncture group and the drug group (P<0.05); the morphology of gastric mucosa was improved; the Observed Species index and Shannon index of α diversity index of intestinal flora in the acupuncture group was increased (P<0.05), and the Shannon index in the drug group was increased (P<0.05); the ß diversity showed that the spatial distance between the acupuncture group and the blank group was close; the TLR4 contents in the brain and intestinal tissues of the acupuncture group were decreased (P<0.01). Compared with the drug group, the contents of TLR4 in the intestinal tissue of the acupuncture group were decreased (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture at "Guanyuan" (CV 4) and "Xiajuxu" (ST 39) could alleviate SGU in rats, and its mechanism may be related to increasing the diversity of intestinal flora, promoting the disorder of intestinal flora to normal, and reducing the overexpression of TLR4 in brain and intestinal tissues.

Peripheral blood intermediate monocyte protease-activated receptor-2 expression increases during asthma exacerbations and after inhalation allergen challenge.

BACKGROUND: Myeloid cells, especially dendritic cells and macrophages, play important roles in asthma pathophysiology. Monocytes (Mo) and macrophages express protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2), a proinflammatory serine protease receptor implicated in the pathophysiology of allergic airway inflammation. We have revealed that patients with severe asthma and those with a history of frequent asthma exacerbations exhibit increased PAR-2 expression on peripheral blood monocytes. OBJECTIVE: To determine PAR-2 expression on peripheral blood intermediate monocytes (IMMo) in subjects with increased airway inflammation, either as a result of an asthma exacerbation or after an inhalation allergen challenge. METHODS: A total of 16 adults who presented to the emergency department with asthma exacerbations were recruited after giving an informed consent. After 2 weeks, 10 patients returned for follow-up. A total of 11 patients with mild asthma treated only with as-needed bronchodilators were recruited and underwent inhalation allergen challenge after providing an informed consent. Immune cell profiling was performed by whole blood flow cytometry in both groups of patients. RESULTS: PAR-2 expression in peripheral blood IMMo increased in patients with an asthma exacerbation compared with those with stable disease, but this expression decreased after treatment of the asthma exacerbation. Subjects with mild asthma had an increase in percentages of IMMo expressing PAR-2 after an allergen challenge. Patients who presented to the emergency department had lower dendritic cell and dendritic cell subset numbers in peripheral blood during exacerbation compared with after treatment. CONCLUSION: Increased PAR-2 expression on Mo during periods of increased airway inflammation may initiate a positive feedback loop leading to systemic inflammatory changes.

Th2 cell markers in peripheral blood increase during an acute asthma exacerbation.

BACKGROUND: Allergic asthma is characterized by type 2 inflammation. We have shown the presence of increased type 2 inflammation in patients with severe asthma and those with frequent exacerbations. However, it is not known whether increased type 2 inflammation drives asthma exacerbations. This study aims to determine Th2 immune parameters in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with an acute asthma exacerbation and correlate these parameters with clinical and physiological measures of asthma. METHODS: Sixteen adults presenting to the ED with acute asthma exacerbations were recruited after giving informed consent. Ten patients returned 2 weeks later for follow-up. Physiological parameters, asthma control (ACQ6), asthma quality of life (AQLQ) questionnaires, and venous blood were collected during both visits. An immune cell profiling was performed by whole blood flow cytometry: CD4+ T cells, Th2 cells (CD4+ CRTh2+ T cells and % of CD4+ T cells expressing CRTh2), eosinophils and innate lymphoid cells (ILC2). RESULTS: During exacerbation, peripheral blood Th2 cell numbers correlated with ACQ6 and AQLQ scores, while ILC2 and eosinophil numbers did not. Subjects had higher % of CD4+ T cells expressing CRTh2 and worse FEV1 during exacerbation compared with the follow-up. The decrease in the % of CD4+ T cells expressing CRTh2 seen during the follow-up visit correlated with the improvement in lung function. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that Th2 cells in peripheral blood may be a sensitive measure of increasing symptoms in patients with asthma exacerbations and may serve as a biomarker of an asthma exacerbation.

miR-187-3p increases gemcitabine sensitivity in breast cancer cells by targeting FGF9 expression.

Breast cancer is the most common type of malignancy in women, which remains a significant health concern worldwide. Gemcitabine is a frequently applied anticancer pharmacological agent. However, the efficacy of gemcitabine is limited by chemoresistance. In the present study, a combination of reverse transcription quantitative-PCR, cell viability, flow cytometry, luciferase reporter assay and western blot analysis were performed to elucidate the potential effects of miR-187-3p on gemcitabine sensitivity in the breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231. The results revealed that miR-187-3p was significantly decreased in the breast cancer tumor tissues. Moreover, the overexpression of miR-187-3p significantly inhibited cell viability and promoted apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells. In addition, miR-187-3p overexpression enhanced the anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of gemcitabine, indicating that miR-187-3p regulated gemcitabine sensitivity in breast cancer cells. Mechanistically, miR-187-3p negatively regulated the expression of fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) by binding to its 3'-untranslated region. Overexpression of FGF9 reversed the aforementioned effects of miR-187-3p overexpression on cell viability and apoptosis in the presence of gemcitabine. In conclusion, the present study indicated that miR-187-3p increased gemcitabine sensitivity in breast cancer cells by targeting FGF9 expression.

The potential insights of Traditional Chinese Medicine on treatment of COVID-19.

Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) broke out in 2019 and spread rapidly around the world. There is still no specific antiviral therapy to the current pandemic. In China, historical records show that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is effective in prevention and enhancing the resistance to pandemic with unique insights. To fight with COVID-19, National Health and Commission of PRC has recommended some TCM in the guideline, such as HuoxiangZhengqi, LianhuaQingwen ShufengJiedu and XueBijing, and actually displayed a remarkable effect in clinical treatment strategic for COVID-19. We review studies to provide an in-depth understanding into the effect of TCM, and also introduce the possible mechanism involved in COVID-19 treatment.

[Effect of acupuncture on intestinal flora in rats with stress gastric ulcer].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of acupuncture at "Baihui" (GV 20), "Zhongwan" (CV 12) and "Zusanli" (ST 36) on intestinal flora in rats with stress gastric ulcer (SGU) , and to explore the mechanism of acupuncture promoting SGU recovery. METHODS: Thirty-one SPF SD rats were randomly divided into a control group (7 rats), a model control group (8 rats), an acupuncture group (8 rats) and a medication group (8 rats). The rats in the model group, acupuncture group and medication group were selected to applied the improved restraint water-immersion stress method to establish the SGU model. After modeling, the rats in the control group and model group were fixed and restrained for 20 min every day for a total of 5 days; the rats in the acupuncture group were intervented with acupuncture at "Baihui" (GV 20), "Zhongwan" (CV 12) and "Zusanli" (ST 36), once a day, 20 min each time, and twisting needle for 30 s every 5 min for a total of 5 days; the rats in the medication group were gavaged by solution of omeprazole enteric-coated tablet (200 mg/mL), 2 mL for each rat, once a day. Guth method was used to calculate the gastric mucosal damage index (GMDI), HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of gastric mucosa, and 16SrDNA identification was used to detect the structural abundance of intestinal flora. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the GMDI of rats in the model group was increased (P<0.01), the gastric mucosal pathological changes were significant, and the intestinal flora richness index Chao1, Observed species and diversity index Shannon were all decreased (P<0.05), the diversity index Simpson was increased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the GMDI of rats in the acupuncture group and medication group was reduced (P<0.01, P<0.05), the gastric mucosal damage degree was reduced, and the intestinal flora richness index Chao1, Observed species and diversity index Shannon were all increased (P<0.05) and the diversity index Simpson decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the medication group, the GMDI of rats in the acupuncture group was reduced (P<0.01), the recovery of gastric mucosal injury was better than that of the medication group. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture can effectively improve gastric mucosal injury of SGU, and the mechanism may be related to increasing the diversity of intestinal flora and promoting the correction of the disordered intestinal flora.

CCL5 persists in RSV stocks following sucrose-gradient purification.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is associated with bronchiolitis in infancy and the later development of asthma. Research on RSV in vitro requires preparation of a purified RSV stock. The objective for this work was to develop best methods for RSV purification, while monitoring the samples for potential contaminating proinflammatory mediators. Using polyethylene glycol concentration, and sucrose-gradient ultracentrifugation, we collected samples at each step of purification and measured the values of RSV titer, total protein (µg/mL), and proinflammatory cytokines (ELISA). We analyzed the efficacy of each step in the purification procedure. In so doing, we also determined that despite optimal purification methods, a well-known chemokine in the field of allergic disease, CCL5 (RANTES), persisted within the virus preparations, whereas other cytokines did not. We suggest that researchers should be aware that CCL5 appears to co-purify with RSV. Despite reasonable purification methods, a significant level of CCL5 (RANTES) persists in the virus preparation. This is relevant to the study of RSV-induced allergic disease.

[Effect of acupuncture on serum inflammatory cytokines and intestinal flora in rats with stress-induced gastric ulcer].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of acupuncture on serum inflammatory cytokines and intestinal flora in rats with stress-induced gastric ulcer (SGU), and to explore the mechanism of acupuncture in the treatment of SGU. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into blank, model, acupuncture, and medication groups, with 7 rats in each group. Restraint water-immersion stress was used to establish the model of SGU. The rats in the acupuncture group were given acupuncture at "Zhongwan"(CV12) and bilateral "Zusanli"(ST36) for 20 min, once a day for 5 days, and those in the medication group were given 2 mL solution of Omeprazole enteric-coated tablets (0.2 mg/kg) by gavage, once a day for 5 days. The Guth method was used to calculate the gastric mucosa damage index, HE staining was used to observe the histopathological changes of the gastric mucosa, ELISA was used to measure the serum levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and 16S rDNA sequencing method was used to observe the change in intestinal flora. RESULTS: Compared with the blank group, the model group had a significant increase in gastric mucosa damage index (P<0.01), markedly pathological changes of the gastric mucosa shown by HE staining, a significant reduction in the content of serum IL-4 (P<0.01), and a significant increase in the content of serum IL-6 (P<0.01), as well as a significant reduction in Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes at the phylum level. Compared with the model group, the acupuncture group and the medication group had a significant reduction in gastric mucosa damage index (P<0.01, P<0.05). HE staining showed reduced pathological changes of the gastric mucosa, as well as a significant increase in the content of serum IL-4 (P<0.01, P<0.05) and a significant reduction in the content of serum IL-6 (P<0.01, P<0.05). As for the intestinal flora, there was a significant increase in Bacteroidetes. Compared with the medication group, the gastric mucosa damage index was decreased （P<0.05），the content of serum IL-4 was significantly increased （P<0.05）, while the content of serum IL-6 significantly decreased (P<0.05) in the acupuncture group. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture at CV12 and ST36 can down-regulate the content of serum IL-6, up-regulate the content of serum IL-4, maintain the relative homeostasis of inflammatory cytokines, and regulate the community structure of intestinal flora, and thus help to repair the damage of gastric mucosa.