ArticleFrontiers in immunology2025
Electroacupuncture restores intestinal mucosal barrier in IBS-D rats by modulating mast cell-derived exosomal MiR-149-5p.
Article in Frontiers in immunology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Acupuncture modulates the microbiota-gut-brain axis to treat irritable bowel syndrome: a mechanistic exploration.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2026Review
- Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Intestinal barrier dysfunction is a key etiology of diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D), and our previous work has demonstrated that mast cells play a critical role in this process. Here, we further show that electroacupuncture (EA) restores intestinal mucosal barrier in IBS-D Rats by modulating mast cell-Derived exosomal (MC-EXO) microRNAs (miRNAs). Methods: IBS-D was induced in rats using chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) combined with Senna solution administration, and confirmed through assessments of visceral pain threshold, diarrhea index, percentage of time spent in open arms, hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed to evaluate the pathological features of the colon. Model rats were treated with EA in combination with the mast cell agonist C48/80, CRF-R1 agonist Ucn1, or exosome antagonist GW4869. CRF and CRF-R1 mRNA expression levels were measured using qPCR, and mast cell activation and degranulation were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Additionally, intestinal barrier integrity and tight junction expression were evaluated by ELISA, TEM, Western blot (WB), and IHC. MC-EXO miRNAs were extracted, sequenced, and subjected to Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. Furthermore, Caco-2 cells were transfected with miR-149-5p and miR-22-5p mimics to determine the effect of these miRNAs on intestinal permeability and tight junction protein expression. To further validate the effect of miR-149-5p, IBS-D rats were administered adeno-associated viruses (AAV) overexpressing miR-149-5p, and mast cell activation and intestinal barrier function were evaluated. Results: EA alleviated IBS-D symptoms by downregulating CRF and CRF-R1 expression, inhibiting mast cell activation, and upregulating tight junction protein expression. These effects were abrogated by CRF and mast cell agonists, but enhanced by an exosome inhibitor. MiRNA sequencing revealed significantly higher miR-149-5p and miR-22-5p expression levels in the model group compared to the EA group. KEGG and GO enrichment analyses showed that these miRNAs were enriched in pathways associated with tight junctions. Transfection of Caco-2 cells with miR-149-5p or miR-22-5p mimics increased monolayer permeability and downregulated the expression of tight junction proteins. Additionally, administration of AAV-miR-149-5p abolished the protective effect of EA in IBS-D rats. Conclusion: MC-EXO miR-149-5p modulates EA-mediated intestinal barrier repair in IBS-D rats.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.