<p style="text-align: center;">BI Dingyan，LIU Qiong，YIZhan，LI Dan，ZOU&nbsp; Yifan，MAMingzhu，LIU Mi，CHANG Xiaorong</p><p style="text-align: center;">（Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Science and Education Park at Hanpu in Changsha City, Changsha 410208&nbsp; &nbsp; ,China）</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Abstract:</strong>&nbsp; <strong>Objective</strong>:&nbsp; To&nbsp; observe&nbsp; the&nbsp; effect&nbsp; of&nbsp; herbal&nbsp; cake-partitioned&nbsp; moxibustion&nbsp; on&nbsp; the&nbsp; expression&nbsp; of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK1/2) and extracellular regulatory protein kinase (ERK1/2) in gastric tissues of rats with spleen deficiency syndrome, and to explore the possible mechanisms of herbal cakepartitioned moxibustion on the spleen deficiency syndrome. Methods: Sixty Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into a blank control group (group A), a model group (group B), a ranitidine group (group C), a herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion group (group D), 15 rats in each group. Rat models of spleen deficiency syndrome were made by intragastric administration of 4&nbsp; ℃&nbsp; and 200% concentrated Da Huang (Radix et Rhizoma Rhei). After successful modeling, the rats in group C were treated with 25 mg/(kg·bw) ranitidine by intragastric adminstration and group D were treated with herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion at Zusanli (ST 36) and Zhongwan (CV 12), for 8 d. Excepted for rats in group A, all the other rats were treated with 5 mg/(kg·bw) of indomethacin at 8:00 a.m. on the second day after finishing all the intervention and sacrificed&nbsp; after&nbsp; 7&nbsp; h&nbsp; to&nbsp; isolate&nbsp; the&nbsp; stomach.&nbsp; Histopathological&nbsp; changes&nbsp; of&nbsp; the&nbsp; rat&nbsp; gastric&nbsp; tissues&nbsp; were observed under light microscope after hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The protein expressions of MEK1/2 and ERK1/2 in the rat gastric tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry. Results: After intervention, the gastric mucosal injury in group B was significantly severer than that in group A, with large breakage and ablating; the damage of gastric mucosa was decreased in group C compared&nbsp; with group B; the rat gastric mucosal&nbsp; surface&nbsp; remained&nbsp; relative&nbsp; complete,&nbsp; and&nbsp; the&nbsp; status&nbsp; of&nbsp; breakage&nbsp; and&nbsp; ablating&nbsp; was&nbsp; significantly improved. After intervention, compared with group A, the protein expressions of MEK1/2 and ERK1/2 in gastric&nbsp; tissues&nbsp; of&nbsp; other&nbsp; groups&nbsp; were&nbsp; significantly&nbsp; higher&nbsp; (P&lt;0.01).&nbsp; Compared&nbsp; with&nbsp; group&nbsp; B,&nbsp; the&nbsp; protein expressions of MEK1/2 and ERK1/2 in group C and D were significantly higher (all P&lt;0.01). Compared with group&nbsp; C,&nbsp; the&nbsp; protein&nbsp; expressions&nbsp; of&nbsp; MEK1/2&nbsp; and&nbsp; ERK1/2&nbsp; in&nbsp; group&nbsp; D&nbsp; were&nbsp; significantly&nbsp; higher&nbsp;</p><p>(P&lt;0.01).Conclusion: Herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion promotes the repair of gastric mucosa in rats with spleen deficiency syndrome, via improving protein expressions of MEK1/2 and ERK1/2 in gastric tissues, as well as activating MEK/ERK signaling pathway.</p><p><strong>Key words</strong>: Science of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Moxibustion Therapy, Indirect Moxibustion,&nbsp; Zusanli (ST 36), Zhongwan (CV 12), Research on Acupoints</p><p><br/></p>