From Data Mining to Experimental Validation: ST36 and CV12 as Core Acupoint Combination for Acupuncture in Functional Dyspepsia

Abstract

Background: Effective treatments for functional dyspepsia (FD) remain elusive. Acupuncture presents promising potential due to its safety and minimal side effects. However, variability in acupoint prescriptions in clinical practice has hindered the optimization and dissemination of treatment protocols for FD. This study seeks to screen out the core acupoint combination, and experimentally validate its efficacy. Methods: This study involved searching eight databases to analyze acupoint prescriptions in the literature using data mining and association rules. The aim was to identify an acupoint combination based on prescription frequency, co-occurrence patterns, and network relevance as a core prescription. Subsequently, we established the FD rat model. The rats were randomly assigned to control, model, electroacupuncture, and Itopride groups (n = 6 per group). All interventions lasted 14 days. The body weight, 3-hour food intake, and gastric emptying rate were assessed in each group. Eosinophil (Eos) and mast cell (MC) counts in duodenal tissues were determined using Eos staining and toluidine blue staining, respectively. Pathological changes in duodenal tissues were examined through hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, while immunofluorescence (IF) staining was employed to evaluate the expression levels of tight junction proteins Claudin-1 and Occludin in the duodenal mucosal barrier. Results: The data mining results revealed ST36 as the most frequently utilized acupoint, with its combination with CV12 being the most prevalent. Network association analysis showed the interconnections among them. Integrating multiple analytical methods, this study ultimately suggests the central role of ST36 and CV12 in acupoint prescriptions for the treatment of FD. Animal experiments demonstrated that electroacupuncture stimulation of these two acupoints significantly improved digestive function and nutritional status in FD rats. Eos staining and toluidine blue staining indicated a marked reduction in Eos and MC infiltration. Histological examination showed restoration of duodenal villi structure, while IF further showed increased expression of Claudin-1 and Occludin. Conclusion: This study showed that ST36 and CV12 are the core acupoint combination of acupuncture for FD. Animal experiments further demonstrated that electroacupuncture stimulation of these two acupoints could significantly alleviate the duodenal low-grade inflammation and mucosal barrier damage in FD rats.