Differential effects of electroacupuncture and manual acupuncture on spontaneously hypertensive rats: insights from intestinal microbiota and metabolomics
BackgroundHypertension is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and acupuncture has demonstrated therapeutic effects in managing hypertension. However, the precise antihypertensive mechanisms of acupuncture require further elucidation.MethodsIn this study, 30 male spontaneously hyper...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| author | Ji-Peng Liu Long-Teng Tu Ke-Zhen Yang Yin-Yin Li Yu Gong Bing-Xuan Han Chuan Liu Tian-Qi Xia Yu Liu Xiao-Min Hao Bing-Nan Yue Jing Zhang Bing-Hui Wang Gui-Rong Luo Qing-Guo Liu Meng Xu |
| author_facet | Ji-Peng Liu Long-Teng Tu Ke-Zhen Yang Yin-Yin Li Yu Gong Bing-Xuan Han Chuan Liu Tian-Qi Xia Yu Liu Xiao-Min Hao Bing-Nan Yue Jing Zhang Bing-Hui Wang Gui-Rong Luo Qing-Guo Liu Meng Xu |
| author_sort | Ji-Peng Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundHypertension is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and acupuncture has demonstrated therapeutic effects in managing hypertension. However, the precise antihypertensive mechanisms of acupuncture require further elucidation.MethodsIn this study, 30 male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and 10 male Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats were utilized as experimental models. The SHRs were randomly assigned to three groups: the model group (Group M), the electroacupuncture group (Group EA), and the manual acupuncture group (Group MA), while the WKY rats served as the blank control group. Treatment was given every other day for 8 weeks, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured every 2 weeks during the intervention period. Upon completion of the intervention, analyses of intestinal flora, as well as serum and fecal metabolomics, were conducted.ResultsThe findings indicated that both EA and MA effectively reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure in SHRs, with EA demonstrating a more rapid onset of blood pressure reduction. EA and MA influence the composition of intestinal microbiota in SHRs, aligning the microbial structure more closely with that of the WKY group. This modulation results in an increased abundance of beneficial bacteria, such as Blautia, and a decreased abundance of harmful bacteria, such as Helicobacter. Regarding serum metabolomics, EA and MA affect metabolic pathways involving glycerophospholipids, linoleic acid, and arachidonic acid. In terms of fecal metabolomics, both acupuncture techniques are implicated in primary bile acid biosynthesis, dopaminergic synapse function, and sphingolipid signaling pathways. Notably, EA exerts a more significant influence on the steroid hormone biosynthesis pathway, whereas MA impacts the tryptophan metabolic pathway.ConclusionBoth EA and MA demonstrate antihypertensive effects by modulating intestinal microbiota composition and metabolite profiles in SHRs, although the specific microbiota and metabolites affected differ between the two techniques, and EA treatment reversed more fecal and serum metabolites than did MA. This study serves as a reference for investigating the mechanisms underlying acupuncture in the treatment of hypertension and facilitates its clinical application. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8577301caa0c401db46e745fb6fd1433 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2296-889X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
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| series | Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-8577301caa0c401db46e745fb6fd14332025-08-20T03:17:44ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences2296-889X2025-07-011210.3389/fmolb.2025.16193561619356Differential effects of electroacupuncture and manual acupuncture on spontaneously hypertensive rats: insights from intestinal microbiota and metabolomicsJi-Peng Liu0Long-Teng Tu1Ke-Zhen Yang2Yin-Yin Li3Yu Gong4Bing-Xuan Han5Chuan Liu6Tian-Qi Xia7Yu Liu8Xiao-Min Hao9Bing-Nan Yue10Jing Zhang11Bing-Hui Wang12Gui-Rong Luo13Qing-Guo Liu14Meng Xu15School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, ChinaDepartment Shenzhen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, ChinaSchool of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wangjing Community Health Center, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wangjing Community Health Center, Beijing, ChinaCollege of Special Education, Beijing Union University, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Third Affiliated Hospital, Beijing, ChinaBackgroundHypertension is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and acupuncture has demonstrated therapeutic effects in managing hypertension. However, the precise antihypertensive mechanisms of acupuncture require further elucidation.MethodsIn this study, 30 male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and 10 male Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats were utilized as experimental models. The SHRs were randomly assigned to three groups: the model group (Group M), the electroacupuncture group (Group EA), and the manual acupuncture group (Group MA), while the WKY rats served as the blank control group. Treatment was given every other day for 8 weeks, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured every 2 weeks during the intervention period. Upon completion of the intervention, analyses of intestinal flora, as well as serum and fecal metabolomics, were conducted.ResultsThe findings indicated that both EA and MA effectively reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure in SHRs, with EA demonstrating a more rapid onset of blood pressure reduction. EA and MA influence the composition of intestinal microbiota in SHRs, aligning the microbial structure more closely with that of the WKY group. This modulation results in an increased abundance of beneficial bacteria, such as Blautia, and a decreased abundance of harmful bacteria, such as Helicobacter. Regarding serum metabolomics, EA and MA affect metabolic pathways involving glycerophospholipids, linoleic acid, and arachidonic acid. In terms of fecal metabolomics, both acupuncture techniques are implicated in primary bile acid biosynthesis, dopaminergic synapse function, and sphingolipid signaling pathways. Notably, EA exerts a more significant influence on the steroid hormone biosynthesis pathway, whereas MA impacts the tryptophan metabolic pathway.ConclusionBoth EA and MA demonstrate antihypertensive effects by modulating intestinal microbiota composition and metabolite profiles in SHRs, although the specific microbiota and metabolites affected differ between the two techniques, and EA treatment reversed more fecal and serum metabolites than did MA. This study serves as a reference for investigating the mechanisms underlying acupuncture in the treatment of hypertension and facilitates its clinical application.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2025.1619356/fullhypertensionelectroacupuncturemanual acupuncturespontaneously hypertensive ratsgut florametabolites |
| spellingShingle | Ji-Peng Liu Long-Teng Tu Ke-Zhen Yang Yin-Yin Li Yu Gong Bing-Xuan Han Chuan Liu Tian-Qi Xia Yu Liu Xiao-Min Hao Bing-Nan Yue Jing Zhang Bing-Hui Wang Gui-Rong Luo Qing-Guo Liu Meng Xu Differential effects of electroacupuncture and manual acupuncture on spontaneously hypertensive rats: insights from intestinal microbiota and metabolomics Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences hypertension electroacupuncture manual acupuncture spontaneously hypertensive rats gut flora metabolites |
| title | Differential effects of electroacupuncture and manual acupuncture on spontaneously hypertensive rats: insights from intestinal microbiota and metabolomics |
| title_full | Differential effects of electroacupuncture and manual acupuncture on spontaneously hypertensive rats: insights from intestinal microbiota and metabolomics |
| title_fullStr | Differential effects of electroacupuncture and manual acupuncture on spontaneously hypertensive rats: insights from intestinal microbiota and metabolomics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Differential effects of electroacupuncture and manual acupuncture on spontaneously hypertensive rats: insights from intestinal microbiota and metabolomics |
| title_short | Differential effects of electroacupuncture and manual acupuncture on spontaneously hypertensive rats: insights from intestinal microbiota and metabolomics |
| title_sort | differential effects of electroacupuncture and manual acupuncture on spontaneously hypertensive rats insights from intestinal microbiota and metabolomics |
| topic | hypertension electroacupuncture manual acupuncture spontaneously hypertensive rats gut flora metabolites |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2025.1619356/full |
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