ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Microbial Symbioses
Electroacupuncture Modulates Gut-Lung Microbiota and Lung EMT to Attenuate Airway Remodeling in COPD
Provisionally accepted
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
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Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) airway remodeling is primarily driven by epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is exacerbated by gut-lung axis (the bidirectional communication between gut and lung microbiota) dysbiosis and systemic inflammation. Although electroacupuncture (EA) demonstrates therapeutic potential in COPD, its mechanisms in modulating the gut-lung axis to alleviate inflammation and EMT remain unclear. Methods: In cigarette smoke and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced COPD rats, we evaluated lung function, airway collagen deposition, pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in serum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and colon tissue, EMT markers in lung tissue, serum LPS levels, and 16S rRNA sequencing of lung and gut microbiota. Interventions comprised authentic EA at bilateral "Feishu" (BL13) and "Zusanli" (ST36) acupoints versus sham acupuncture at non-acupoint. Results: EA significantly attenuated airway remodeling, as evidenced by improved lung function and reduced collagen deposition. EA modulated gut-lung microbiota by suppressing pro-inflammatory pathogens and enriching immunoregulatory taxa. These changes correlated with reduced serum endotoxemia and inflammation, marked by decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased IL-10 in serum, BALF, and colon tissues. The ameliorated inflammatory environment was further linked to inhibition of EMT in airways, shown by upregulated epithelial markers and downregulated mesenchymal markers. Correlative analyses supported these associations. Ligilactobacillus enrichment negatively correlated with serum LPS, while Mycoplasmopsis positively associated with inflammation and EMT markers. Sham acupuncture failed to achieve these effects. Conclusions: EA ameliorates airway remodeling in COPD by modulating gut and lung microbiota. reducing inflammation and inhibits EMT, suggesting microbiota regulation as a potential contributor to its therapeutic effects..
Keywords: COPD, EA, EMT, Gut Microbiota, Lung microbiota
Received: 15 Nov 2025; Accepted: 16 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Chen, Zhou, Zhou, Wang, Zhao and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Ling Zhao
Ying Chen
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