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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.
Sec. Intestinal Microbiome
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1539277
This article is part of the Research Topic Can Chinese Medicines Affect Diarrhea via Effects of the Intestinal Microbiota on the Renal-Intestinal Axis? View all 10 articles

Gut-brain axis mediated by intestinal content microbiota was associated with Zhishi Daozhi decoction on constipation

Provisionally accepted
Leyao Fang Leyao Fang 1,2Xin Yi Xin Yi 2Junxi Shen Junxi Shen 2Na Deng Na Deng 2*Xinxin Peng Xinxin Peng 1*
  • 1 The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
  • 2 School of Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Anhui Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Constipation is a common digestive system disorder, which is closely related to the intestinal flora. Zhishi Daozhi decoction (ZDD) is a traditional Chinese medicine prescription used to treat constipation caused by indigestion. This study is to evaluate the efficacy of ZDD in treating constipation and to elucidate the underlying mechanism.In this study, Kunming mice were administered a high-protein diet (HFHPD) and loperamide hydrochloride injections to induce constipation. The mice then received varying doses (2.4, 4.7, and 9.4 mg/kg) of ZDD for seven days.Following the sampling process, we measured faecal microbial activity. The levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), and aquaporin-3 (AQP3) were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Changes in the gut microbiota were evaluated through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Additionally, we investigated the correlation between specific microbiota features and the levels of 5-HT, VIP, and AQP3.The fecal surface of the mice in the model group (CMM) was rough and dry.The stool of mice in the low-dose ZDD group (CLD), medium-dose ZDD group (CMD), and high-dose ZDD group (CHD) exhibited a smoother texture, closely 2 resembling that of the normal group (CNM). 5-HT levels and fecal microbial activity in the CMM group were significantly lower than in the CNM, CLD, and CHD. VIP levels in the CMD were lower than in the other four groups, and AQP3 levels in CMM showed a decreasing trend. Diversity analysis indicated that CMD and CHD treatments were more effective in restoring the intestinal microbiota structure.Potential pathogenic bacteria, including Clostridium, Aerococcus, Jeotgalicoccus, and Staphylococcus were enriched in CMM. In contrast, beneficial bacteria such as Faecalibacterium, Bacillaceae, and Bacillus were more prevalent in the CLD, CMD, and CHD. Correlation analysis revealed that Streptococcus and Enterococcus were positively correlated with VIP, while Succinivibrio showed a negative correlation with 5-HT.Conclusions: Constipation induced by HFHPD and loperamide hydrochloride disrupts the structure of the intestinal microbiota. ZDD appears to alleviate constipation, potentially through mechanisms linked to the brain-gut axis and its interaction with the intestinal microbiota. Among the treatment groups, the medium dose of ZDD demonstrated the most effective results.

    Keywords: Zhishi Daozhi Decoction, Constipation, brain-gut axis, intestinal content microbiota, Microbial Diversity, high-fat and high-protein diet

    Received: 04 Dec 2024; Accepted: 13 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Fang, Yi, Shen, Deng and Peng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Na Deng, School of Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208, Anhui Province, China
    Xinxin Peng, The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China

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