%0 Journal Article
%T Acupuncture protects the interstitial cells of Cajal by regulating miR
%A Jing-jing Deng
%A Ming-yin Lai
%A Qing Yuan
%A Xinghua Tan
%J Acupuncture in Medicine
%@ 1759-9873
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/0964528419829755
%X Recovery of the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) during post-operative ileus (POI) is important for the restoration of gastrointestinal (GI) motility. Acupuncture can protect ICCs, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we investigated whether miR-222, c-kit and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) are involved in the putative effects of acupuncture on ICC recovery. A POI model was established in Sprague-Dawley rats by colo-colic anastomosis, and then acupuncture was performed at bilateral ST36, SP6 and LR3 once daily for 3 consecutive days. C-kit protein expression in the colonic tissue adjacent to the incision site was determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. mRNA levels of c-kit, eNOS and miR-222 were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The levels of c-kit mRNA/protein and eNOS mRNA decreased, while miR-222 increased in the colonic tissues of POI model rats. Acupuncture treatment improved GI motility, inhibited the up-regulation of miR-222 and blocked the down-regulation of c-kit mRNA/protein and eNOS mRNA. The levels of miR-222 and c-kit were negatively correlated. Acupuncture at ST36, SP6 and LR3 facilitates ICC recovery and improves post-operative GI motility in part through regulation of miR-222, c-kit and eNOS
%K acupuncture
%K eNOS
%K interstitial cells of Cajal
%K miR-222
%K post-operative ileus
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0964528419829755