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Electroacupuncture helped constipated mice move things along — and scientists now have a clue why. A new study found the treatment restored mitochondrial function in colon muscle cells, partly through a stress-protection protein called HSF1. The findings offer a cellular explanation for why acupuncture may work for functional constipation, a condition affecting over 1 in 10 people worldwide.
Electroacupuncture (EA) has long been used to treat constipation, but the biological "how" has remained murky — until now. A new mouse study published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology found that EA applied at two GI-specific acupoints significantly improved gut motility in loperamide-induced constipation, while sham acupuncture at non-specific points had no effect. The key mechanism? Restoring the health of mitochondria — the energy powerhouses — inside colonic smooth muscle cells.
Using single-cell RNA sequencing, researchers identified colonic smooth muscle cells as the primary responders to EA. In untreated constipated mice, these cells showed swollen, damaged mitochondria and reduced levels of a stress-protection protein called heat shock factor 1 (HSF1). EA reversed this damage, boosted ATP production, reduced oxidative stress, and ramped up HSF1 activity. Manipulating HSF1 levels directly confirmed its role, though EA's benefits weren't entirely dependent on it.
By the Numbers
Why it matters: Current constipation treatments are largely symptom-focused with high recurrence rates. This study provides a cellular-level rationale for EA as a therapeutic option and opens the door to targeted treatments that mimic its mitochondrial repair effects.
