Effect of Electroacupuncture with Different Current Intensities on the Serum Metabolomics of Functional Constipation

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to investigate the serum metabolomics of electroacupuncture (EA) with different current intensities in the treatment of functional constipation (FC). METHODS: The total number of FC patients was 19, (7, 6, 6, in the low current intensity group (LCI), high current intensity group (HCI), and mosapride citrate tablet control group (MC), respectively). Patients in the EA groups received 16 sessions of acupuncture treatments. Patients in the MC group were orally administered 5 mg mosapride citrate tablets 3 times daily, and serum samples were collected from the patients before and after treatment. Orthogonal partial least square-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) was used to assess the metabolic data. The significant differences before and after FC treatment are shown in the OPLS-DA score plot. Variable importance plots (VIPs) and T tests were used to identify significant metabolites. RESULTS: Among the three groups, the number of metabolites with VIP > 1 was 11, 7, and 21 (in LCI, HCI and MC groups, respectively). Compared with those before treatment, the serum metabolites of patients were characterized by increased levels of L-ornithine (p < 0.05) and glyceric acid in the LCI group (p < 0.05), increased levels of vanillic acid in the MC group (p < 0.05), and decreased levels of arabinonic acid in the MC group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The effects of EA treatment on the serum metabolomics of FC may involve fatty acid and amino acid metabolism.