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This systematic review and meta-analysis examined whether electroacupuncture improves neurological outcomes and influences brain-gut axis function in animal models of ischaemic stroke. Ischaemic stroke is one of the world’s leading causes of death and long-term disability, and it is often accompanied by disruption to the brain-gut axis — a bidirectional communication system linking the brain, intestinal barrier, gut microbiota, and immune responses.
Researchers searched nine databases and identified thirteen reports from twelve independent controlled animal studies, analysing them using random-effects meta-analyses in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 guidelines. The analysis found that electroacupuncture was associated with meaningfully improved neurological function and a substantial reduction in infarct volume — the area of brain tissue damaged by stroke. Electroacupuncture was also associated with increased levels of intestinal barrier proteins (zonula occludens-1 and occludin) and the anti-inflammatory molecule interleukin-10, alongside reductions in markers of intestinal permeability (such as D-lactate and lipopolysaccharide) and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Changes in gut microbial diversity were also observed, though their functional importance remains uncertain.
The certainty of evidence ranged from moderate to very low, and many brain-gut findings were based on only a small number of studies, limiting firm conclusions. The authors emphasise the need for more rigorously designed preclinical research before clinical translation can be considered.
Conclusion: Electroacupuncture appears to offer neuroprotection in animal models of ischaemic stroke and may partly achieve this through modulation of brain-gut axis processes, though further high-quality preclinical studies are needed to confirm these mechanisms.
Source: Chen Y, Zhu T, Li M and colleagues. Frontiers in neuroscience (2026). View on PubMed (PMID 42712574) · doi:10.3389/fnins.2026.1893796
