Research Progress on the Treatment of IBS-D with Huanji Zhixie Decoction Based on the Gut-Brain Axis Mechanism

Abstract

Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea (IBS-D) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder with unclear etiology, and the curative effect of Western medicine on symptom relief is limited. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome differentiation focuses on the core pathogenesis of “liver depression and spleen deficiency” and emphasizes regulating the liver and invigorating the spleen in treatment. Based on clinical experience from 4,800 cases, Professor Yu Tao modified Tongxie Yaofang (Puerariae Lobatae and Atractylodis Macrocephalae Decoction for Diarrhea with Pain) and developed the self-formulated “Huanji Zhixie Decoction” (Relieving Spasms and Stopping Diarrhea Decoction), which has achieved remarkable clinical results in strengthening the spleen, soothing the liver, eliminating dampness and relieving diarrhea. Modern research suggests that this decoction regulates 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and inflammatory pathways through the microbiota-gut-brain axis, improving gut-brain interaction through multiple targets, and providing a safe and effective new strategy of integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine for IBS-D treatment.