Acupuncture attenuated hyperalgesia in a chronic migraine rat model and regulated brain-gut peptides, gut microbial community structure, and fecal metabolites, suggesting that regulation of the gut-brain axis may be one of the mechanisms underlying its analgesic effect.
Acupuncture treatment significantly attenuated hyperalgesia in chronic migraine model rats.
Acupuncture regulated serum levels of brain-gut peptides 5-HT, CGRP, and VIP in chronic migraine model rats.
Gut microbial community structure and metabolic profile were altered in chronic migraine model rats compared to controls.
Acupuncture modulated 10 gut microbial genera and 13 fecal metabolites in chronic migraine model rats.
The gut-brain axis may play an important role in the chronification of migraine, and regulation of gut microbiota and metabolites may be one mechanism underlying acupuncture's analgesic effect in chronic migraine.
This research suggests that acupuncture may help relieve chronic migraine pain in rats by influencing communication between the gut and the brain. Researchers created a chronic migraine model in rats using a drug called nitroglycerin and then treated some rats with acupuncture at specific points for nine days. They found that acupuncture reduced pain sensitivity and normalized the levels of several signaling molecules in the blood — including serotonin (5-HT), CGRP, and VIP — that are known to be involved in both migraine and gut-brain communication. Using genetic sequencing and chemical analysis of stool samples, the researchers also found that the chronic migraine rats had distinct changes in their gut bacterial communities and the chemical byproducts those bacteria produce. Acupuncture treatment shifted 10 bacterial groups and 13 gut metabolites back toward patterns seen in healthy rats. This points to a connection between the gut microbiome and migraine chronification — the process by which migraines become frequent and persistent. This research suggests that one reason acupuncture may help with chronic migraine is that it rebalances the gut microbiome and its metabolic activity, which in turn influences brain pain pathways through what scientists call the gut-brain axis. While this study was conducted in rats and further research in humans is needed, it provides new insights into both the biology of chronic migraine and potential mechanisms behind acupuncture's effects.
Zheng H, Wang Z, Wei S, Huang L, Han M, Zhang Y, et al.. (2026). Acupuncture regulates gut microbiota and metabolites in a rat model of chronic migraine.. Acupuncture in medicine : journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/09645284261423204