Effects of Taohe Chengqi decoction on gut microbiota of rats with functional constipation
LIU Shuang,XIE Yi-xuan,GUO Zhi-yue
Abstract:
Objective To investigate the effects of Taohe Chengqi decoction on the intestinal function, composition and abundance of the intestinal flora in rats with heat-type constipation. Methods Forty SPF-grade female Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, with 8 rats in each group. The groups were set as the control group, the constipation model group, the constipation model + low-dose Taohe Chengqi decoction intervention group, the constipation model + high-dose Taohe Chengqi decoction intervention group, and the constipation model + lactulose positive intervention group. After one week of adaptive feeding, the control group was not given any drug intervention. In the other four groups, the rats were intragastrically administered with heat-natured traditional Chinese medicines combined with intestinal motility inhibitors for 14 days to induce the establishment of a constipation model. Among them, two groups were randomly set as experimental groups and were intervened and treated with low-dose(10 g/kg) and high-dose(20 g/kg) Taohe Chengqi decoction respectively, and another group was intervened with lactulose as a positive control. After the intragastric administration was completed for 28 days, the rats were placed in a metabolic cage for 24 hours, and fresh feces of the rats were collected. After taking tissues, relevant data were collected for statistical analysis. 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing was used to detect the microorganisms in the feces of the rats, and quantitative analysis was carried out. Results After the intervention of Taohe Chengqi decoction, the number of fecal pellets, water content and intestinal charcoal powder propulsion rate of the constipated model rats increased significantly. The results of 16S rRNA sequencing showed that the relative abundances of beneficial flora such as Verrucomicrobiae, Actinobacteria, and Akkermansiaceae increased. Metabolomics studies found that there were obvious differences in metabolites between groups (P <0.05). KEGG enrichment analysis was carried out on the relevant statistical metabolites. The results showed that the screened differential metabolites were mainly involved in six metabolic pathways. Conclusion Taohe Chengqi decoction can significantly improve the intestinal function of constipated model rats induced by heat-natured traditional Chinese medicines and promote the transformation of the intestinal microenvironment towards a healthy state. Its mechanism of action may be related to regulating the structural and functional balance of the intestinal flora.
