Acupuncture at Renying (ST9) and Zusanli (ST36) reduced blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats through mechanisms associated with modulation of intestinal inflammation and gut microbiota reshaping.
Key Findings
Results
Acupuncture at ST9 and ST36 acupoints reduced blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs).
Eighteen male SHRs were randomly divided into SHR group, acupuncture group (SHR+A), and sham acupuncture group (SHR+SA), with six Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats serving as normotensive controls.
The acupuncture group showed measurable blood pressure reduction compared to the untreated SHR group.
Sham acupuncture was included as a procedural control to isolate the specific effect of acupuncture at the designated acupoints.
WKY rats served as the normotensive reference group for comparison of all outcome measures.
Results
Acupuncture modulated gut microbial beta diversity and increased the abundance of beneficial bacterial genera in SHRs.
16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing was used to characterize changes in gut microbiota composition.
Acupuncture treatment reshaped the composition of the intestinal microbiota compared to untreated SHRs.
Beta diversity, reflecting differences in microbial community composition between groups, was modulated by acupuncture.
The abundance of beneficial genera was increased following acupuncture treatment.
Results
Hypertension induced pathological changes in the intestine, including inflammation and increased intestinal permeability.
Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to assess the degree of colonic damage.
SHRs exhibited pathological changes in intestinal tissue compared to normotensive WKY controls.
Increased intestinal permeability was observed in the hypertensive SHR group.
Gut inflammation was elevated in untreated SHRs relative to WKY controls.
Results
Acupuncture decreased serum inflammatory cytokine levels in SHRs.
Blood samples were collected and inflammatory cytokines were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Serum inflammatory cytokine levels were reduced in the acupuncture group compared to the untreated SHR group.
The reduction in systemic inflammation was associated with the antihypertensive effect of acupuncture.
Results
Acupuncture inhibited activation of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway in the intestines of SHRs.
Western blotting was performed to evaluate intestinal inflammation via protein expression analysis.
The toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) / nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway was activated in hypertensive SHRs and suppressed by acupuncture treatment.
Inhibition of this pathway was associated with restoration of intestinal barrier integrity.
The TLR4/NF-κB pathway is a key mediator of intestinal inflammation implicated in the mechanism by which acupuncture exerts its effects.
Results
Acupuncture restored intestinal barrier integrity in spontaneously hypertensive rats.
Intestinal barrier integrity was compromised in untreated SHRs, as evidenced by increased permeability and pathological colonic changes.
Acupuncture treatment reversed these changes, restoring barrier function.
Restoration of intestinal barrier integrity was linked to inhibition of the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.
Both histological staining and western blotting were used to confirm improvements in gut barrier status.
What This Means
This research suggests that acupuncture applied at two specific points — one on the neck (Renying/ST9) and one on the leg (Zusanli/ST36) — can lower blood pressure in rats that naturally develop hypertension. The study used these genetically hypertensive rats as an animal model and compared them to rats that received fake acupuncture (needles placed at non-therapeutic sites) and to normal-blood-pressure rats. The researchers found that acupuncture not only reduced blood pressure but also changed the community of bacteria living in the gut, increasing the proportion of beneficial microbes and altering the overall diversity of the gut microbial population.
The study also found that high blood pressure was associated with damage to the gut lining, increased gut 'leakiness,' and heightened inflammation in the intestine. Acupuncture appeared to counteract these effects by reducing levels of inflammatory proteins in the blood and by turning down a specific cellular signaling pathway (TLR4/NF-κB) that drives intestinal inflammation. Together, these changes helped restore the protective barrier function of the gut wall.
This research suggests that acupuncture's blood-pressure-lowering effects may work at least in part through the gut — by reducing intestinal inflammation and rebalancing the gut microbiome — rather than solely through direct cardiovascular effects. This raises the possibility that targeting the gut-inflammation axis could represent a new strategy for managing hypertension, and that acupuncture may influence health through gut-brain or gut-cardiovascular connections. However, these findings are from animal studies and further research in humans would be needed to confirm these mechanisms.
Jie Z, Zhimin D, Tingyu C, Zhuan L, Lihong Z, Yongtao L, et al.. (2026). Antihypertensive effect of acupuncture involve reshaping gut microbiota and alleviating gut inflammation in spontaneously hypertensive rats.. Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan. https://doi.org/10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2026.04.011