Investigating the therapeutic effects and preliminary mechanism of Huaqi Quyu Tongyou Decoction in treating constipation in patients with thoracolumbar fractures based on changes in gut microbiota
LIU Le
FAN Xiao-chun
WANG Jiao
WEN Yuan
Abstract：Objective To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of Huaqi Quyu Tongyou Decoction in patients with constipation following thoracolumbar fracture,and to explore its potential mechanism of action from the perspective of gut microbiota changes.Methods A total of 150 patients with thoracolumbar fracture and concomitant constipation,treated between June 2023 and June 2024,were enrolled and randomly assigned into an observation group and a control group(75 cases each).Both groups received standard care;the control group was treated with oral lactulose solution three times dai-ly,while the observation group received Huaqi Quyu Tongyou Decoction once daily in addition to the control regimen.The treatment lasted for 7 days.Key outcomes included constipation symptom scores,gut microbiota composition(quantifica-tion of Escherichia coli,Lactobacillus,and Bifidobacterium),and serum biomarkers[vasoactive intestinal peptide(VIP),motilin(MTL),and serotonin(5-HT)].Clinical efficacy and adverse events were also compared.Results Before treatment,there were no significant differences between groups in constipation scores,gut microbiota composition,or ser-um VIP,MTL,and 5-HT levels(all P＞0.05).After treatment,both groups showed improvement:symptom scores,E.coli counts,and serum VIP levels decreased significantly,with greater reductions in the observation group(all P＜0.05);meanwhile,levels of Lactobacillus,Bifidobacterium,MTL,and 5-HT increased significantly in both groups,with greater increases observed in the observation group(all P＜0.05).The total clinical efficacy rate was significantly higher in the observation group(P＜0.05).No significant difference in adverse reactions was observed between the two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion Huaqi Quyu Tongyou Decoction shows superior efficacy in relieving constipation symp-toms in patients with thoracolumbar fractures.Its therapeutic effect may be attributed to the modulation of gut microbiota and regulation of serum levels of VIP,MTL,and 5-HT,ultimately contributing to improved gastrointestinal function.
Keywords：gut microbiotaHuaqi Quyu Tongyou Decoctionthoracolumbar fractureconstipation
Publication Date：2025-07-15
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-25(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：5( 1062-1066 )