The First Clinical Medical College, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ji'nan, China.
Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated with Shandong First Medical University, Ji'nan, China.
Biosci Trends. 2024 Jun 6;18(2):127-140. doi: 10.5582/bst.2024.01036. Epub 2024 Mar 25.
Chronic constipation is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders worldwide. Due to changes in diet, lifestyle, and the aging population, the incidence of chronic constipation has increased year by year. It has had an impact on daily life and poses a considerable economic burden. Nowadays, many patients with chronic constipation try to seek help from complementary and alternative therapies, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is often their choice. The intestinal flora play an important role in the pathogenesis of constipation by affecting the body's metabolism, secretion, and immunity. Regulating the intestinal flora and optimizing its composition might become an important prevention and treatment for chronic constipation. TCM has unique advantages in regulating the imbalance of intestinal flora, and its curative effect is precise. Therefore, we reviewed the relationship between intestinal flora and chronic constipation as well as advances in research on TCM as adjunct therapy in the management of chronic constipation by regulating intestinal flora. Some single Chinese herbs and their active ingredients (e.g., Rheum palmatum, Radix Astragalus, and Cistanche deserticola), some traditional herbal formulations (e.g., Jichuan decoction, Zengye decoction, and Zhizhu decoction) and some Chinese patent medicines (e.g., Maren pills and Shouhui Tongbian capsules) that are commonly used to treat chronic constipation by regulating intestinal flora are highlighted and summarized. Moreover, some external forms of TCM, and especially acupuncture, have also been found to improve intestinal movement and alleviate constipation symptoms by regulating intestinal flora. We hope this review can contribute to an understanding of TCM as an adjunct therapy for chronic constipation and that it can provide useful information for the development of more effective constipation therapies.
慢性便秘是全球最常见的胃肠道疾病之一。由于饮食、生活方式和人口老龄化的改变，慢性便秘的发病率逐年上升。它已经对日常生活产生了影响，并带来了相当大的经济负担。如今，许多慢性便秘患者试图寻求补充和替代疗法的帮助，而中医药往往是他们的选择。肠道菌群通过影响机体代谢、分泌和免疫等途径在便秘的发病机制中发挥重要作用。调节肠道菌群并优化其组成可能成为预防和治疗慢性便秘的重要手段。中医药在调节肠道菌群失衡方面具有独特优势，疗效确切。因此，我们综述了肠道菌群与慢性便秘的关系，以及中医药通过调节肠道菌群治疗慢性便秘的研究进展。文中重点介绍和总结了一些常用的单味中药及其有效成分（如大黄、黄芪和肉苁蓉）、传统中药方剂（如济川煎、增液汤和知柏地黄汤）和中药成药（如麻仁丸和首荟通便胶囊），这些药物通过调节肠道菌群来治疗慢性便秘。此外，一些中医的外部形式，特别是针灸，也被发现通过调节肠道菌群来改善肠道运动，缓解便秘症状。我们希望这篇综述能帮助人们了解中医药作为慢性便秘的辅助治疗方法，并为开发更有效的便秘治疗方法提供有用的信息。
