Evidence mapPaperPMID 42332283Full record

ArticleInternational microbiology : the official journal of the Spanish Society for Microbiology2026

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation changed the relative abundance of intestinal microbiota in rats with knee osteoarthritis: a potential treatment for KOA.

Yang Zhang, Tong Ma, Ran Chen, Hong-Bin Zhao, Yan Sun

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Article in International microbiology : the official journal of the Spanish Society for Microbiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

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5 authors.

Yang ZhangFaculty of Life Sciences and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, P.R. China.
Tong MaPharmaceutical College & Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products of Yunnan Province, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, P.R. China.
Ran ChenThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, 650000, P.R. China.
Hong-Bin ZhaoFaculty of Life Sciences and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, P.R. China. 596829191@qq.com.
Yan SunThe First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Affiliated Hospital of Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, 650032, P.R. China. sunyan@kmmu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4434-9453

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6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundKnee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common degenerative bone disease, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is an alternative and complementary therapy (ACM). This study revealed the role of TENS in regulating the intestinal microbiota in KOA rats.

methodsThis study concentrated on the intestinal microbiota of KOA rats which were treated with TENS for 1, 2, and 3 weeks. Three intensities of TENS were used to treat KOA rats, and the expressions of IL6/8, PI3K-AKT were measured. The intestinal microbiota was analyzed by 16 S rDNA sequencing.

resultsCompared with the Model Control group, TENS could improve symptoms of KOA rats and inhibit the expressions of IL6/8 by down-regulating the PI3K-AKT expression. After 3 weeks of treatment with TENS, compared with the Model Control group, the abundances of Bacteroidetes, Bacteroidetes, and Thermodesulfobacteria increased in the TENS groups; the abundances of Ficmicutes, Campylobacter, and Verruca decreased in the TENS groups.

conclusionTENS could improve the histomorphology of knee and inhibit inflammation in KOA rats. After treatment with TENS, the intestinal microbiota gradually changed from 1,2,3 weeks and the abundance of them was different with three intensities of TENS. Further study will elucidate the underlying mechanisms of TENS in altering gut microbiota and the potential therapeutic applications of these intestinal microbiota for KOA.

Indexed as

Intestinal microbiotaKnee osteoarthritis (KOA)Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.