Acupuncture regulating the gut-brain axis for postoperative ileus: Neuroimmune mechanisms and clinical translation prospects

Mar 11, 2026World journal of gastrointestinal surgery

How Acupuncture May Help Recover Digestion After Surgery by Balancing Nerve and Immune Signals Between the Gut and Brain

AI simplified

Gut-Brain Axis on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Abstract

Electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST36) accelerates gastrointestinal recovery in patients with postoperative ileus.

Activation of the vagus nerve-cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway may occur with electroacupuncture treatment.
Electroacupuncture is associated with suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Rebalancing of gastrointestinal hormones may be promoted by acupuncture.
Acupuncture may modulate the gut-brain axis through various pathways, including neural, immune, and endocrine mechanisms.
Future investigations are needed to explore acupuncture's effects on microbiota and its broader applications in gastrointestinal disorders.

AI simplified

Postoperative ileus remains a significant challenge in surgical recovery. Increasing evidence highlights the gut-brain axis as a promising target for managing gastrointestinal motility disorders. Acupuncture, particularly at Zusanli (ST36), has shown considerable potential to regulate gut function, although its mechanisms warrant further investigation. This editorial discusses a clinical study demonstrating that electroacupuncture at Zusanli (ST36) accelerates gastrointestinal recovery in patients with postoperative ileus by activating the vagus nerve-cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines, and rebalancing gastrointestinal hormones. We further summarize how acupuncture modulates the gut-brain axis through neural, immune, endocrine, microbial, and central pathways, supporting integration with modern neuroimmunology. These findings support incorporating acupuncture into enhanced recovery after surgery protocols. Future studies should prioritize mechanistic investigations using multi-omics technologies, large-scale clinical trials to enable standardization, and exploration of acupuncture-microbiota-gut-brain interactions to broaden clinical applications in gastrointestinal disorders.

Full Text

We can’t show the full text here under this license. Use the link below to read it at the source.

View full text (HTML) ↗View full text ↗

Acupuncture regulating the gut-brain axis for postoperative ileus: Neuroimmune mechanisms and clinical translation prospects

Abstract

Full Text

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the gut-brain axis brief

Abstract

Full Text

Related papers

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the gut-brain axis brief