Mechanism of Action of Moxibustion at Baihui Point in Improving Depressive State in Rats:A Study Based on Intestinal Flora
Objective To investigate the effect of moxibustion at Baihui point on intestinal flora in depression-like rats through 16S rRNA sequencing of intestinal flora,as well as the role of the vagus nerve in moxibustion treatment of depression-like rats.Methods Rats were randomly divided into control group,model group,surgery+moxibustion group,and sham-operation+moxibustion group.Chronic unpredictable mild stress was used to establish a model of depressive state.After successful mod-eling,the vagus nerve was exposed without being cut off for the rats in the sham-operation+moxibustion group,while the va-gus nerve was cut off for those in the surgery+moxibustion group,followed by moxibustion treatment for 21 days.Behavioral observation was performed for the rats before modeling,after modeling,and after the last session of moxibustion treatment;the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)in hippocampal tissue and colon tissue was measured after the last session of moxibustion treatment,and the change in fecal intestinal flora was observed for each group.Results Compared with the model group,the surgery+moxibustion group and the sham-operation+moxibustion group had significant increases in body weight,speed of movement in the open field test,1％ sugar water consumption,and the protein expression level of BDNF in hippocampal tissue and colon tissue (P<0.05)and a significant reduction in rest time in the open field test (P<0.05).The model group,the sham-operation+moxibustion group,and the surgery+moxibustion group had changes in the composition of intestinal flora from the phylum level to the genus level,and such changes mainly involved Spirochaete,Lactobacillaceae,Lach-nospiraceae,and Prevotellaceae.All four groups showed changes in the diversity of intestinal flora,with a significant difference between the blank group and the other three groups,and the sham-operation+moxibustion group had the highest α-diversity index.Conclusion Severing the vagus nerve can help to enhance the effect of moxibustion at Baihui point in upregulating the level of BDNF in the body,and moxibustion at Baihui point can improve the diversity of intestinal flora and maintain the homeo-stasis of intestinal flora.Severing the vagus nerve can weaken the effect of moxibustion at Baihui point on intestinal flora and reduce the diversity of intestinal flora.
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