Department of Acupuncture and Rehabilitation, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Meidicne, Nanjing 210023, China.
Department of Acupuncture and Rehabilitation, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210029, China.
J Tradit Chin Med. 2022 Oct;42(5):732-740. doi: 10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.20220719.001.
To investigate whether electroacupuncture (EA) at bilateral Tianshu (ST25) and Zusanli (ST36) acupoints could alleviate stress-induced irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and evaluate its effect on gut microbiota and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF).
Thirty C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into the normal, water avoidance stress (WAS), and WAS+EA groups (10 mice per group). An experimental model of IBS was established by exposing the animals to WAS. The mice were treated with EA at the bilateral Tianshu (ST25) and Zusanli (ST36) acupoints. The abdominal withdrawal reflex test was conducted to evaluate visceral sensitivity in IBS. Gut microbiota was analyzed using 16S rRNA sequencing and analysis. The expression of CRF was determined using immune-ofluorescence and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.
EA alleviated visceral hypersensitivity in a mouse model of WAS-induced IBS. It modulated the dysbiosis of gut microbiota induced by WAS. Moreover, it suppressed the WAS-induced overexpression of CRF in colon tissues.
The findings of this study suggest that EA alleviated WAS-induced IBS mechanisms possibly involving the modulation of the dysbiosis of gut microbiota and suppression of CRF expression.
研究电针对双侧天枢（ST25）和足三里（ST36）穴位的刺激是否能缓解应激诱导的肠易激综合征（IBS），并评估其对肠道微生物群和促肾上腺皮质释放因子（CRF）的影响。
将 30 只 C57BL/6 小鼠随机分为正常组、水回避应激（WAS）组和 WAS+EA 组（每组 10 只）。通过对动物进行 WAS 暴露建立 IBS 实验模型。对小鼠进行双侧天枢（ST25）和足三里（ST36）穴位的电针治疗。采用腹壁退缩反射试验评估 IBS 患者的内脏敏感性。通过 16S rRNA 测序和分析检测肠道微生物群。采用免疫荧光和实时定量聚合酶链反应检测 CRF 的表达。
电针对 WAS 诱导的 IBS 小鼠模型的内脏高敏感有缓解作用。它调节了 WAS 诱导的肠道微生物群失调。此外，它抑制了 WAS 诱导的结肠组织中 CRF 的过度表达。
本研究结果提示，电针可能通过调节肠道微生物群失调和抑制 CRF 表达缓解 WAS 诱导的 IBS 机制。
