Abstract
BACKGROUND: Electroacupuncture (EA) is a promising treatment for gastrointestinal disorders, yet the efficacy of different acupoint combinations remains mechanistically undefined. We evaluated the therapeutic effects of different acupoint combinations on mucosal inflammatory injury induced in a rat model of gastric ulcer (GU) and dissected its molecular mechanisms through transcriptomic profiling. METHODS: A GU rat model was established using hypothermic restrained water immersion stress. EA therapy was administered to the He-Mu (ST36-CV12), Shu-Mu (BL21-CV12), and Yuan-Luo (ST42- ST40) acupoint combinations for 5 days. EA therapeutic effects were evaluated by coat score, fecal moisture percentage, pain threshold, body mass, organ index, histopathological changes, serum level of oxidative stress, and inflammatory cytokine levels in gastric tissue. A transcriptome analysis identified the related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and central signaling pathway. Real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot were performed to verify the mRNA and protein expression levels of the main genes in the central pathway. RESULTS: EA using different acupoint combinations differentially alleviated gastric mucosal injury in GU rats, with the He-Mu group exhibiting superior tissue damage alleviation, as well as inflammation and oxidative stress reductions. A Venn diagram transcriptome analysis revealed a shared central pathway among the three groups, corresponding to focal adhesion. Quantitative validation confirmed that the mRNA, protein, and phosphorylated protein expression of FAK, VCL, and EGFR-the core signal transduction factors of the focal adhesion pathway activated in gastric tissue after EA treatment-were upregulated, consistent with their therapeutic efficacy. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrated that the He-Mu acupoint combination exhibited superior therapeutic efficacy among the three acupoint combinations. EA using different acupoint combinations improved gastric mucosal injury to varying degrees, and was related to the focal adhesion pathway. The FAK, VCL, and EGFR are promising targets, and further studies are needed to elucidate their functional consequences in GU.