Effects of electroacupuncture on gut microbiota in a rat model of urticaria

Abstract

Objective: Growing evidence suggests a strong link between gut microbiota and the pathogenesis of urticaria, positioning the gut-skin axis as a novel therapeutic target. Despite the efficacy of acupuncture in alleviating urticaria symptoms, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We investigated the effects of electroacupuncture on gut microbiota in a rat model of urticaria.
Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: control, model, and electroacupuncture. An urticaria model was established by combining active systemic and passive cutaneous allergic reactions. Electroacupuncture treatment was administered for 7 days, during which the number of scratches, the diameter of skin sensitization blue spots, and degranulation rate of mast cells were recorded. Inflammation in the sensitized skin was assessed using hematoxylin and eosin staining, and the composition of the gut microbiota was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.
Results: Electroacupuncture significantly reduced the frequency of scratching, the diameter of sensitized blue spots, and the degranulation rate of mast cells in rats. The staining results revealed that electroacupuncture decreased inflammatory cell infiltration and fibrous tissue proliferation in the sensitized skin. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing demonstrated that electroacupuncture adjusted the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis identified Parabacteroides johnsonii as a potential biomarker for diagnosing urticaria (AUC = 0.8516, where AUC stands for the area under the curve) and Lactobacillus reuteri and Limosilactobacillus as potential biomarkers for predicting the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment (AUC = 0.8281).
Conclusion: Electroacupuncture may alleviate urticaria symptoms by modulating the gut microbiota, providing new theoretical and practical directions for acupuncture treatment of urticaria.

Keywords

Electroacupuncture / Firmicutes/bacteroidetes ratio / Gut microbiota / Gut-skin axis / Urticaria

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Funding

This study was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82205283), the Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Provincial Department of Science and Technology (24NSFSC1549), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2022MD723719), and Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine’s 2024 Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program Project (202410633015).

Author contributions

Xianjun Xiao, Rongjiang Jin, and Ying Li conceived and designed the experiments; Xianjun Xiao, Peiwen Xue, Haiyan Qin, Di Qin, and Lu Wang conducted the experiments; Xianjun Xiao, Yunzhou Shi, and Juan Li analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript. All authors reviewed the manuscript and agreed to the final version for submission.

Ethical approval of studies and informed consent

The animal experiment has been approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Animal use license number: SCXK2020-0030, Animal Ethics Number: 2023-01).

Acknowledgments

None.

Data availability

The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Additional information and supporting data can be found in the Supplementary Materials section of this article.

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