Positive Effect of Electroacupuncture Treatment on Gut Motility in Constipated Mice Is Related to Rebalancing the Gut Microbiota

Abstract

Functional constipation (FC) is a common and often recurrent functional bowel disorder that seriously affects the quality of life of affected individuals and incurs a significant economic burden on both the individual and society. There is accumulating evidence that intestinal dysbiosis contributes to constipation and that rebalancing the gut microbiota may be a novel therapeutic modality for FC. Electroacupuncture (EA) has been shown to restore the gut microbiota to normal levels in a variety of diseases. Additionally, several high-quality clinical studies have confirmed that EA is an effective, sustained, and safe treatment for FC. However, whether the effects of EA are secondary to changes in the gut microbiota and how EA modulates intestinal dysbiosis induced by constipation are unknown. Therefore, here, we focused on the potential regulatory mechanisms of EA on diphenoxylate-induced constipation in mice by analyzing structural changes in the gut microbiota. Our results showed that EA treatment effectively rebalanced the gut microbiota of constipated mice, mainly by decreasing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, which may represent one way in which EA promotes gastrointestinal motility and alleviates constipation. Our findings lay the foundation for further mechanistic and clinical research into the application of EA in patients with FC.