Gastrointestinal Motility and Improvement Efficacy of Shenhuang Plaster Application on Shenque: Identification, Evaluation, and Mechanism

Constipation, a gastrointestinal function disorder, is one of the side effects of paclitaxel (PTX) chemotherapy. Shenhuang plaster (SHP) application on the Shenque acupoint promotes gut motility in clinical settings. In this study, we elucidated the ingredients in SHP and evaluated its effects on PTX-induced constipation using a tumour-bearing mouse model. SHP was prepared using the traditional Chinese plaster preparation method. The ingredients were analysed using UPLC-MS/MS and identified via screening in a standard drug database. The gastrointestinal transit was evaluated by the movement of a fluorescein-labelled dextran in the gastrointestinal tract. A histological study of the mucosa was carried out after haematoxylin and eosin staining. mRNA expression was assessed using real-time RT-PCR, and the foetal microbiota composition was elucidated through 16 s rDNA sequencing and BLAST analysis. Our results indicate that the application of SHP attenuated weight gain inhibition by PTX; however, no inhibitory effect was observed on tumour growth. PTX-induced sluggish intestine, villus, and mucosal base layer damage were significantly improved following the application of SHP. Further, SHP enhanced the stimulation efficiency of PTX on TLR4 and its downstream cytokines, as well as on IL-1β in intestinal cells. SHP combined with PTX reshaped the microbiota, which showed beneficial effects on health. Hence, these results provide evidence that SHP alleviates PTX-induced constipation and intestinal morphological damage but augments the effects of PTX on the expression of cytokines in the TLR4 pathway and IL-1β. Therefore, we propose that SHP stimulates the host immune response to eradicate cancer cells.