To explore the mechanism of acupoint application in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea by 16S rDNA sequencing and metabolomics Original paper

What was studied?

This original research investigated GWUAP primary dysmenorrhea microbiome interactions by examining how a graphene-based warm-uterus acupoint paste (GWUAP) alters intestinal microbial composition and fecal metabolites in a rat model of primary dysmenorrhea. Using 16S rDNA sequencing paired with untargeted metabolomics, the study mapped changes in microbial diversity, genus-level shifts, and metabolic pathway perturbations associated with both disease induction and treatment. Behavioral pain responses, inflammatory markers, serum hormones, and uterine histopathology were integrated to connect microbiome shifts with measurable clinical and metabolic outcomes. According to the bar charts and LEfSe plots, a change in Lactobacillus and Romboutsia dominated the microbial signature, while the bubble plot on page 8 displayed three key pathways—steroid hormone biosynthesis, prostate cancer signaling, and biotin metabolism—most affected by treatment.

Who was studied?

The study used twelve sexually mature female Sprague-Dawley rats divided into control, dysmenorrhea-model, and GWUAP-treatment groups. Primary dysmenorrhea was induced by estradiol benzoate combined with oxytocin, a well-validated approach that reliably generated abdominal writhing consistent with clinical pain features. Fecal samples, serum, and uterine tissues collected from all animals provided a multi-layered dataset capturing microbial, metabolic, inflammatory, endocrine, and histological consequences of both disease state and intervention. As shown in the uterine histology, model rats exhibited severe epithelial degeneration, edema, and inflammatory infiltration, which improved visibly in the treatment group.

Most important findings

The most striking microbiome finding was the reciprocal shift in Lactobacillus and Romboutsia. Model rats displayed a sharp reduction in Lactobacillus and an elevation of Romboutsia, while GWUAP reversed this pattern. Since Lactobacillus supports immune regulation, hormone modulation, and smooth-muscle relaxation, its restoration aligns with the reduced pain scores and improved uterine pathology documented. Elevated Romboutsia, associated with metabolic dysregulation and inflammatory tone, mirrored higher TNF-α and PGF2α levels in model animals. GWUAP’s ability to suppress Romboutsia suggests a microbiome-mediated anti-inflammatory mechanism. Metabolomics identified 32 treatment-responsive biomarkers and enriched three major pathways: steroid hormone biosynthesis, prostate cancer signaling (reflecting estradiol involvement), and biotin metabolism. Correlation heatmaps showed that Lactobacillus linked with 12 key metabolites, and Romboutsia with 45, marking both genera as central microbial nodes in dysmenorrhea-associated metabolic disruption.

Key implications

The study demonstrates that GWUAP exerts therapeutic effects through microbiome–metabolite–host interactions rather than surface-level acupoint stimulation alone. By restoring beneficial Lactobacillus, reducing inflammation-linked Romboutsia, and normalizing hormone-related metabolic pathways, GWUAP appears to influence systemic physiology via gut microbial signaling. This research broadens the mechanistic foundation for non-drug dysmenorrhea therapies and highlights candidate microbial biomarkers that may inform future microbiome-based diagnostics or therapeutic strategies.

Citation

Wang L, Li T, Cao W-X, Zhao J-Y, Xu X-H, Chai J-P, Zhang J-X, Liu J, Wang F-C. To explore the mechanism of acupoint application in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea by 16S rDNA sequencing and metabolomics.Front Endocrinol. 2024;15:1397402. fendo-15-1397402