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Objective To observe the promotion of Chaihu Shugan powder on gastric emptying of functional dyspepsia ( FD) rats and to investigate the underlying mechanism. Methods Twenty-four healthy adult SD rats were randomly divided into the normal group, the model group. the Chaihu Shugan powder group, and the domperidone group. The FD rat model was established by tail clamping in all groups except the normal group. All rats were medicated from the first day of modeling, rats in the Chaihu Shugan powder group and domperidone group were treated with 0.63 g/mL Chaihu Shugan powder decoction 1.5 mL and 0.6 mg/mL domperidone suspension 1.5 mL by gavage, respectively, and rats in the normal group and model group were administered normal saline 1.5 mL by gavage, all medications were implemented twice a day and for 4 weeks. At 24 hours after the last medication, all rats were fed with semisolid nutrient paste (1.5 mL/100 g weight) to get the whole stomach by laparotomy with anesthesia after 30 minutes, and then we calculated rates of gastric emptying on the basis of weights of total stomach and empty stomach. The histopathological changes of gastric antrum mucosa were observed by HE staining. The immunohistochemistry ( IHC) technique was used to measure the protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) and phosphorylated eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α signaling pathway (p-eIF2α) protein expression levels of gastric antrum mucosa tissues in rats. Results Compared with the normal group, the rate of gastric emptying in the model group decreased (P <0.05) ; compared with the model group, the gastric emptying rates of the Chaihu Shugan powder group and domperidone group increased ( both P < 0. 05 ). Cells in different tissue layers arranged well. A few lymphocytic and neutrophil infiltrated in antrum of rats in the model group, Chaihu Shugan powder group and domperidone group. Compared with the normal group, the expression of both PERK and p-eIF2α increased in the model group (both P <0. 05 ) ; compared with the model group, the expression of PERK and p-eIF2α decreased in the Chaihu Shugan powder group and domperidone group (both P <0.05). Conclusion Chaihu Shugan powder can promote the gastric emptying of FD rats by regulating the endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling pathway PERK/ eIF2α. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]