Electroacupuncture at ST36 ameliorates gastric dysmotility in rats with diabetic gastroparesis via the nucleus tractus solitarius-vagal axis

Figure 8 The effect of electroacupuncture on the function of smooth muscle after subdiaphragmatic vagotomy. A: Representative images of hematoxylin-eosin in the stomach. Scale bar: 100 μm; B-E: Western blotting analysis and quantification of neuronal nitric oxide synthase, cluster of differentiation 117 (C-kit) and stem cell factor protein levels in stomach tissue (n = 5); F: Representative immunofluorescence images of C-kit. Scale bar: 50 μm; G: Expression of C-kit +/choline acetyltransferase + in the stomach in each group. Scale bar: 50 μm; H-J: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect the concentration of gastrin, motilin and vasoactive intestinal peptide in supernatant (n = 5). Data are expressed as the mean ± SD. ^aP < 0.05. DGP: Diabetic gastroparesis; EA: Electroacupuncture; SDV: Subdiaphragmatic vagotomy; nNOS: Neuronal nitric oxide synthase; C-kit: Cluster of differentiation 117; SCF: Stem cell factor; ChAT: Choline acetyltransferase; DAPI: 4’,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole; Gas: Gastrin; MLT: Motilin; VIP: Vasoactive intestinal peptide.