Pingwei San Ameliorates Spleen Deficiency-Induced Diarrhea through Intestinal Barrier Protection and Gut Microbiota Modulation

Abstract

Pingwei San (PWS) has been used for more than a thousand years as a traditional Chinese medicine prescription for treating spleen-deficiency diarrhea (SDD). Nevertheless, the exact mechanism by which it exerts its antidiarrheal effects remains unclear. The objective of this investigation was to explore the antidiarrheal efficacy of PWS and its mechanism of action in SDD induced by Rhubarb. To this end, UHPLC-MS/MS was used to identify the chemical composition of PWS, while the body weight, fecal moisture content, and colon pathological alterations were used to evaluate the effects of PWS on the Rhubarb-induced rat model of SDD. Additionally, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and immunohistochemistry were employed to assess the expression of inflammatory factors, aquaporins (AQPs), and tight junction markers in the colon tissues. Furthermore, 16S rRNA was utilized to determine the impact of PWS on the intestinal flora of SDD rats. The findings revealed that PWS increased body weight, reduced fecal water content, and decreased inflammatory cell infiltration in the colon. It also promoted the expression of AQPs and tight junction markers and prevented the loss of colonic cup cells in SDD rats. In addition, PWS significantly increased the abundance of Prevotellaceae, Eubacterium_ruminantium_group, and Tuzzerella, while decreasing the abundance of Ruminococcus and Frisingicoccus in the feces of SDD rats. The LEfSe analysis revealed that Prevotella, Eubacterium_ruminantium_group, and Pantoea were relatively enriched in the PWS group. Overall, the findings of this study indicate that PWS exerted a therapeutic effect on Rhubarb-induced SDD in rats by both protecting the intestinal barrier and modulating the imbalanced intestinal microbiota.

Genetically supported causality between gut microbiota and frailty: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study

“…Nonetheless, to date, no reports have explored the connection between individuals with debilitating syndromes and the Eubacterium ruminantium group or the Eubacterium coprostanogenes group . In animal research, the Eubacterium ruminantium group has demonstrated the ability to fortify the intestinal barrier and reduce the body’s inflammatory response ( Fan et al, 2023 ; Hu et al, 2023 ), potentially mitigating frailty occurrence, aligning with our study’s findings. Regarding the Eubacterium coprostanogenes group , existing research links its increase to a higher risk of colorectal adenoma ( Zapico et al, 2022 ; Xiang et al, 2023 ), while its association with frailty warrants further investigation.…”

Integrated Analysis of the Transcriptome and Microbial Diversity in the Intestine of Miniature Pig Obesity Model

“…The Lachnospiraceae_XPB1014_group exhibited a specific negative correlation with Crohn’s disease, a form of inflammatory bowel disease [ 54 ]. The Eubacterium_ruminantium_group has been shown to alleviate colitis [ 55 ]. Solibacillus , part of the Bacillus genus, has an as-yet undetermined function.…”

Roles and regulation of Aquaporin-3 in maintaining the gut health: an updated review

“…In traditional Chinese medicine, the spleen-deficiency diarrhea is regarded as a prevalent gastrointestinal condition with diarrhea as the primary symptom ( Fan et al, 2023 ). The AQP3, AQP4, and AQP8 expression of colon was significantly decreased in rats with spleen-deficiency diarrhea, while their expression was significantly increased by administration with Pingwei San or Shenling Baizhu San ( Fan et al, 2023 ).…”

“…In traditional Chinese medicine, the spleen-deficiency diarrhea is regarded as a prevalent gastrointestinal condition with diarrhea as the primary symptom ( Fan et al, 2023 ). The AQP3, AQP4, and AQP8 expression of colon was significantly decreased in rats with spleen-deficiency diarrhea, while their expression was significantly increased by administration with Pingwei San or Shenling Baizhu San ( Fan et al, 2023 ). Similarly, treatment with a high dose of Atractylodis Rhizoma extract for consistent 10 days help prevent the spleen deficiency-induced diarrhea and reduce the pathological changes in colon tissue of mice, which might be associated with the enhanced expressions of both AQP3 and AQP8 in the colon ( Shi et al, 2019 ).…”