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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microorganisms in Vertebrate Digestive Systems
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1517018

Electroacupuncture alleviates functional constipation by upregulating hostderived miR-205-5p to modulate gut microbiota and tryptophan metabolism

Provisionally accepted
Lu Wang Lu Wang 1,2Xi Menghan Xi Menghan 1,3Wei Cao Wei Cao 1,4haiyan Qin haiyan Qin 1Di Qin Di Qin 1Shuai Chen Shuai Chen 1Siyuan Zhou Siyuan Zhou 1Yujun Hou Yujun Hou 1Ying Chen Ying Chen 1Xianjun Xiao Xianjun Xiao 1Qianhua Zheng Qianhua Zheng 1Dehua Li Dehua Li 2Ying Li Ying Li 1*
  • 1 College of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
  • 2 Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
  • 3 Pidu District People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
  • 4 Chengdu Integrated TCM and Western Medical Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

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

    Functional constipation (FC) is a prevalent gastrointestinal disorder for which current treatments often yield inconsistent results. Electroacupuncture (EA) has shown promise as a treatment for FC, with growing evidence suggesting it may enhance gut motility. However, the precise mechanisms through which EA influences gut motility and the gut microbiota remain poorly understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) serve as key regulatory molecules mediating host-microbiota interactions. However, the specific fecal miRNAs regulating microbiota composition and metabolism in EAtreated constipated mice, along with their key targets, remain unidentified. We examined fecal microbiome composition, metabolism, and colonic miRNA expression in loperamide-induced constipated mice and EA-treated mice to identify differentially expressed miRNAs and assess their relationships with microbial abundance, metabolism, and gut motility. Our results indicate that miR-205-5p, significantly upregulated in fecal and colonic tissues of EA-treated constipated mice, promotes intestinal motility in a microbiome-dependent manner. Specifically, EA promoted the growth of Lactobacillus reuteri, enriched in the feces of constipation-recovered mice, through host-derived miR-205-5p regulation. Furthermore, Lactobacillus reuteri and its tryptophan metabolites (indole-3-acetamide, indole-3-acetic acid, and indole-3carboxaldehyde) alleviated loperamide-induced constipation. These findings underscore the pivotal role of host-derived miR-205-5p in modulating microbial composition and tryptophan metabolites to enhance intestinal motility through EA.

    Keywords: Electroacupuncture, Functional constipation, MiR-205-5p, Lactobacillus reuteri, tryptophan metabolism

    Received: 28 Oct 2024; Accepted: 07 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Menghan, Cao, Qin, Qin, Chen, Zhou, Hou, Chen, Xiao, Zheng, Li and Li. 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: Ying Li, College of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China

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