Abstract： Objective To observe the effects of Erchen Decoction on the dynamic changes of SCF/C-kit signaling pathway in the gastrointestinal tissue of rats with acute stage of cerebral hemorrhage caused by phlegm dampness syndrome and to explore the relationship between phlegm dampness constitution and gastrointestinal dysfunction during acute stage of cerebral hemorrhage and the mechanism of action of Erchen Decoction.Methods Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into blank group,sham surgery group,model group,mosapride group(0.27 mg/d),Erchen Decoction low-dose group and high-dose group(217 mg/d,434 mg/d),with 10 rats in each group.Except the blank group and the sham surgery group,autologous blood injection method was used to prepare the rat cerebral hemorrhage model.Each group was given gastric perfusion according to the measurement.Rats in the blank group,the sham surgery group,and the model group were given normal saline twice a day.The rats were killed 7 days after administration.Hematoxylin-eosin staining method was used to observe the morphological changes of the gastrointestinal mucosa cells of the rats.Real-time PCR(RT-PCR)and Western blot(WB)methods were used to detect the expression levels of SCF、C-kit protein and mRNA.Results Under the light microscope,the gastrointestinal mucosa cells of the blank group and the sham surgery group were complete in structure and regular in shape,and slight congestion was occasionally seen;the model group showed tissue cell congestion,edema,significant infiltration of inflammatory cells,and tissue erosion;gastrointestinal mucosa of mosapride group and Erchen Decoction low and high dose groups were not clear and arranged irregularly,and some tissues could see congestion,edema and inflammatory cell infiltration of histocytes.Gastrointestinal mucosa of Erchen Decoction low dose group was the most serious in these three groups.The content of SCF and C-kit mRNA in the gastrointestinal tissue of the model group rats was significantly lower than that in the blank group and the sham surgery group(P<0.05),and the content of SCF and C-kit mRNA in the mosapride group,the Erchen Decoction low-dose group,and the Erchen Decoction high-dose group were increased(P<0.05).The content of SCF mRNA in the gastric tissue of the rats in the Mosapride group and Erchen Decoction high-dose group were increased significantly(P<0.05),and the expression of C-kit mRNA in the Erchen Decoction high-dose group were increased most significantly(P<0.05);The content of SCF and C-kit mRNA in small intestine tissue were increased with the up-regulation of Erchen Decoction concentration(P<0.05).The expression levels of SCF and C-kit protein in gastrointestinal tissues of rats in mosapride group,Erchen Decoction low-dose group and high-dose group were significantly higher than those in model group(P<0.05);Among the three groups,mosapride and Erchen Decoction high-dose group had the best effect(P<0.05).Conclusion The mechanism of phlegm dampness type gastrointestinal mucosal injury in the acute stage of cerebral hemorrhage and dysfunction are related to the reduced expression of SCF/C-kit signaling pathway related proteins and mRNA.Erchen Decoction can effectively intervene through this mechanism,upregulate the expression of related proteins and mRNA,which is beneficial for the recovery of gastrointestinal dysfunction in the acute stage of cerebral hemorrhage.