Electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST-36) Restores Impaired Interstitial Cells of Cajal and Regulates Stem Cell Factor Pathway in the Colon of Diabetic Rats

Abstract

The present study determined the effects of electroacupuncture on interstitial cells of Cajal and investigated whether changes in the stem cell factor pathway were involved. Animals were assigned to normal, diabetic, diabetic plus sham stimulation, diabetic plus low-frequency stimulation, and diabetic plus high-frequency stimulation groups. Electroacupuncture was performed daily for 8 weeks. In vitro contractility of colonic muscle strips were studied. Expression of c-kit (the marker of interstitial cells of Cajal) and stem cell factor were measured. The results showed that (1) contraction of colonic muscle strips was significantly elevated in low- and high-frequency stimulation groups and (2) in contrast to the diabetic group, the expressions of c-kit and stem cell factor were markedly increased in the low- and high-frequency stimulation groups. These results indicate that both low- and high-frequency stimulation can promote the contractility of colonic muscle strips partially through increasing the number of interstitial cells of Cajal, and these effects could be mediated by an elevated endogenous stem cell factor.