Effect of mild moxibustion on intestinal microbiota and NLRP6 inflammasome signaling in rats with post-inflammatory irritable bowel syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common digestive disorder that causes abdominal pain, bloating, and changes in bowel habits. About one-third of difficult-to-treat IBS cases develop after an intestinal infection or inflammation, called post-inflammatory IBS (PI-IBS). Researchers investigated whether moxibustion, a traditional Chinese medicine therapy that uses burning mugwort herb near acupuncture points, could help treat PI-IBS by affecting gut bacteria and inflammation.

In this animal study, rats with PI-IBS received mild moxibustion treatment at acupuncture points Tianshu (ST25) and Zusanli (ST36) for 10 minutes daily over 7 days. Researchers measured abdominal pain sensitivity, inflammation markers, gut bacteria levels, and inflammatory signaling pathways in the intestines.

The results showed that moxibustion significantly reduced abdominal pain sensitivity and lowered intestinal inflammation in the treated rats. The therapy increased beneficial bacteria including Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii while decreasing harmful E. coli bacteria. Moxibustion also regulated NLRP6 inflammasome signaling, a key immune pathway involved in gut inflammation, by promoting protective proteins and reducing inflammatory molecules like IL-1β and IL-18. Importantly, changes in gut bacteria correlated with changes in inflammatory signaling, suggesting moxibustion works through multiple interconnected mechanisms.

These findings suggest that moxibustion may offer a promising treatment approach for patients with post-inflammatory IBS by restoring healthy gut bacteria balance and reducing chronic low-grade inflammation. While this research was conducted in animals, it provides scientific support for the traditional use of moxibustion in digestive disorders. Patients interested in moxibustion should seek treatment from a qualified, licensed acupuncturist trained in traditional Chinese medicine techniques.

This animal study investigated moxibustion's effects on intestinal microbiota and NLRP6 inflammasome signaling in post-inflammatory IBS. Sprague-Dawley rats with PI-IBS received bilateral mild moxibustion at ST25 and ST36 for 10 minutes daily over 7 consecutive days. Treatment significantly decreased abdominal withdrawal reflex scores and reduced colonic MPO activity and serum CRP levels compared to sham controls. 16S rDNA PCR analysis revealed moxibustion increased relative abundances of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii while decreasing Escherichia coli. Molecular analysis demonstrated moxibustion upregulated NLRP6 and intestinal lectin 1 expression while downregulating ASC, Caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-18, and resistance-like molecule β. Correlation analysis confirmed significant associations between microbial abundances and NLRP6 pathway components. Clinical takeaway: Moxibustion at ST25 and ST36 may alleviate PI-IBS through dual mechanisms of restoring beneficial microbiota and modulating host NLRP6 inflammasome signaling, offering a therapeutic approach for managing visceral hypersensitivity and low-grade intestinal inflammation in PI-IBS patients.