Yueju Pill Inhibits Apoptosis by Regulating the SCF/c-Kit/PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway to Ameliorate Functional Dyspepsia

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of Yueju Pill (YJP) on functional dyspepsia (FD) rats and its mechanism of promoting gastrointestinal motility. Methods: We replicated FD rat models using classical tail pinching and irregular feeding for 14 days. After 28 days of YJP treatment, we measured the gastric emptying rate and intestinal propulsion rate of the rats. Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining was used to observe the pathological damage in the gastric antrum. The serum levels of related brain-gut peptides (BGPs) were determined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Furthermore, we detected the expression of proteins related to the SCF/c-Kit/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway through Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Finally, we assessed the levels of apoptosis using the TUNEL assay. Results: YJP improved gastric emptying and small intestine propulsion rates while reducing gastric tissue injury in FD rats. Moreover, YJP increased the levels of gastrin (GAS) and ghrelin (Ghrelin) and decreased the levels of cholecystokinin (CCK) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). YJP also elevated the levels of SCF, c-kit and Bcl-2, promoted the phosphorylation of PI3K and AKT, and inhibited the expression of Bax. Conclusion: YJP achieved the effect of FD treatment by regulating the SCF/c-Kit/PI3K/AKT pathway, providing a theoretical basis for the clinical treatment of FD.