Combination of Chinese and Western Medicine Optimizes the Intestinal Microbiota of Exacerbated Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Rats

Xiaojun Li; Ya Li; Jing Mao; Qingqing Bian; Yinshuang Xuan; Tingting Shen; Suyun Li

doi:10.1155/2021/9975407

Combination of Chinese and Western Medicine Optimizes the Intestinal Microbiota of Exacerbated Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Rats

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021 Sep 8:2021:9975407. doi: 10.1155/2021/9975407. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Xiaojun Li^{1

2

3}, Ya Li^{1

2

3}, Jing Mao^{1

4}, Qingqing Bian^{1

2

3}, Yinshuang Xuan^{1

2

3}, Tingting Shen^{1

2

3}, Suyun Li^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Henan Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine for Respiratory Disease, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450000, China.
² Institute for Respiratory Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450000, China.
³ Co-Construction Collaborative Innovation Center for Chinese Medicine and Respiratory Disease by Henan and Education Ministry of P.R. China, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450000, China.
⁴ College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450000, China.

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) changes the structure of the intestinal microbiota and activates the acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD). Previous studies showed that the way to treat COPD and AECOPD via combination of Chinese and Western medicine was successful. However, the effect of the intervention on the structure of the intestinal microbiota has not been studied. In this study, we collected feces from model rats following intervention, integrated with Chinese and Western medicine, and used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to clarify the effect on intestinal microbiota. Methods. Twenty-five rats were randomized into the control, COPD, AECOPD, Western medicine (moxifloxacin hydrochloride tablets + salbutamol sulfate tablets, MXF/STL), and integrated Chinese and Western medicine (Tong Sai granules + moxifloxacin hydrochloride tablets + salbutamol sulfate tablets + Bu Fei Yi Shen granules + salbutamol sulfate tablets, TMS/FS) groups. Lipopolysaccharide-combined cigarette smoke exposure method was used to simulate the acute exacerbation-stabilization of COPD. Then, the model rats were intervened. Results. The intervention of combination Chinese and Western medicine improved the lung function, decreased the C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and Serum Amyloid A (SAA), and relieved pathological damage to the pulmonary alveoli and intestinal mucous of AECOPD rats. The proportion of Firmicutes, TM7, Oscillospira, Clostridium, Ruminococcus, Blautia, Treponema, and Turicibacter decreased, whereas that of Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Lactobacillus, and Allobaculum increased via the intervention with the combination of Chinese and Western medicine. Conclusions. The intervention with Chinese and Western medicine optimizes the intestinal microbiota structure in AECOPD rat model, which provides a basis for the COPD study in the Chinese medicine.