18 rats were randomly deivided into 3 groups: control grup, the group merely with experimental gastric ulcer and the group with experimental gastric ulcer after 3-week moxibustion. The results showed: (1) moxibustion could significantly reduce the ulcer area of the rats (P < 0.05); (2) compared with control group, the experimental gastric ulcer model rats had an increase in copper content and Cu/Zu ratio, the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); (3) in contrast to the rats merely with experimental gastric ulcer, moxibustion-pretreated rats had a significant increase in Zinc content in serum (P < 0.01), but its copper content and Cu/Zn ratio in serum were significantly decreased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The results confirmed that moxibustion pretreatment at "Shen-Jue" could protect the gastric mucosa from strass-induced ulcer, having protective effect on gastric mucosa. The results also suggested that there was a disbalance in trace elements metabolism, but moxibustion could improve it. This was most likely to be one of the mechanisms of moxibustion protection on gastric mucosa.