Electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST36) Repairs Interstitial Cells of Cajal and Upregulates c-Kit Expression in Rats with SCI-Induced Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction

Yujie Yang; Jie Cheng; Yongni Zhang; Jiabao Guo; Bin Xie; Wenyi Zhang; Zhaojin Zhu; Yi Zhu

doi:10.1155/2020/8896123

Electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST36) Repairs Interstitial Cells of Cajal and Upregulates c-Kit Expression in Rats with SCI-Induced Neurogenic Bowel Dysfunction

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2020 Nov 27:2020:8896123. doi: 10.1155/2020/8896123. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Yujie Yang¹, Jie Cheng², Yongni Zhang³, Jiabao Guo⁴, Bin Xie⁵, Wenyi Zhang⁶, Zhaojin Zhu⁷, Yi Zhu⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
² The Second Clinical Medical School, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
³ Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai, China.
⁴ Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.
⁵ Jiangyin Orthopedics Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.
⁶ Zhongshan Rehabilitation Branch of Jiangsu Provincial Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
⁷ Department of Rehabilitation, Changzhou Higher Vocational and Technical College of Health, Changzhou, Jiangsu, China.
⁸ Department of Pain and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Hebei, China.

Abstract

Background: Electroacupuncture (EA) could improve colonic transit activity in rats with neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD) caused by spinal cord injury (SCI). The function of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) and c-Kit expression may play essential roles in this process. Material and Methods. Thirty-six Sprague Dawley rats were randomized to the sham group, the SCI group, or the SCI + EA group (bilateral Zusanli, 30 min/day, 14 days). Changes in the ultrastructural morphology of ICCs were observed. The c-Kit expression on different levels was analyzed by immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and RT-qPCR, respectively.

Results: Abnormal morphology of ICCs and downregulation of the c-Kit expression occurred after SCI. While the number of ICCs was increased, the ultrastructural morphology was improved significantly in EA rats. They also showed better improvement in c-Kit expression at both protein and gene levels.

Conclusion: Abnormal ICCs in colon tissues and the downregulated expression of c-Kit could be observed after SCI. EA at Zusanli (ST36) could improve the colon function by repairing the morphology and increasing the number of ICCs and upregulating c-Kit expression.