Objective: To observe the changes in Ghrelin and GHS-R in hypothalamus

gastric tissue of model rats with lung and spleen deficiency-type chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

and study the regulatory effect of the brain and intestine axis to explore its role in the rat model of COPD. Method: Totally 48 Wistar rats were randomly divided into blank control group

lung and spleen deficiency-type COPD observation group (28

35

42 d according to different modeling time). The rats in the control group were provided with air

intratracheally injected with the same amount of normal saline

and orally administered with the same amount of normal saline. The rats in the observation group were smoked and intratracheally instilled with lipopolysaccharide (on the 1st day

the 14th day) and gavaged with diarrhea leaves to the end of modeling. Rats were put to death at the 28th

35th and 42th days after modeling

and their gastric tissues and hypothalamus were collected. Western blot

immunohistochemistry and Real-time PCR were used to detect protein and mRNA expressions of Ghrelin and GHS-R in rat tissues

and the dynamic expressions of Ghrelin and GHS-R were observed. Result: Compared with the blank control group

the expressions of Ghrelin and GHS-R in the hypothalamus and gastric tissue of the model group decreased gradually (P<0.05)

with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). The mean optical densities of Ghrelin and GHS-R in hypothalamus and gastric tissues of the model group were significantly decreased (P<0.05)

with statistically significant differences. In the model group

mRNA expressions of hypothalamus and gastric tissues were also decreased (P<0.05)

with statistically significant differences. Conclusion: The expressions of Ghrelin and its receptors in hypothalamus and gastric tissues may be one of the causes of COPD complicated with malnutrition. The regulatory effect of brain stem axis plays an important role in the poor nutritional status of COPD.