肠道微生物与糖尿病周围神经病变研究进展的文献计量学分析

The Evolving Landscape of Gut Microbiota in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Bibliometric Insight into the Gut-Brain Axis

摘要:

背景：糖尿病周围神经病变（DPN）是糖尿病最常见的并发症之一。越来越多的证据表明，肠道微生物群通过肠-脑轴这一双向通信系统与DPN的发病机制密切相关。本研究应用文献计量学分析方法，描绘这一新兴领域的知识结构、主题演变和研究前沿。 方法：系统检索Web of Science核心合集数据库中2015~2025年发表的关于肠道微生物群与DPN的文献。采用CiteSpace 6.4.R1软件进行关键词共现分析、聚类分析、时间线分析、突现检测和共被引分析，以可视化该领域的知识图谱和发展趋势。 结果：年发文量从2020年起呈指数增长，反映了该领域研究热度的持续上升。共识别出10个核心主题，包括微生物组、代谢组学、氧化应激和肠道微生物群失调等。研究演变经历了三个阶段：2015~2019年的描述性关联研究、2019~2022年的机制探索研究，以及2022~2025年的微生物群-肠-神经轴干预研究。突现检测显示，“孟德尔随机化”“因果关系”和“中医药”是当前的研究前沿。 结论：本分析揭示了DPN研究在肠-脑轴框架下的快速发展，呈现出从相关性研究向因果性研究、从机制探索向干预评估转变的趋势。未来研究应优先开展高质量的微生物群调节疗法临床试验，并整合多组学技术以阐明精确机制。

Abstract:

Background:Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN) is a prevalent, debilitating complication of diabetes mellitus. Emerging evidence links gut microbiota and the gut-brain axis to its pathogenesis via a complex bidirectional communication system. This study applied bibliometric analysis to delineate the knowledge structure, thematic evolution, and research frontiers of this burgeoning field. Methods:Publications on gut microbiota and DPN from the Web of Data from the Science Core Collection (2015–2025) were systematically retrieved. CiteSpace 6.4.R1 conducted co-occurrence, clustering, timeline, burst detection, and co-citation analyses to visualize the field’s intellectual landscape and trends. Results:Annual publications grew exponentially from 2020, reflecting intensifying research interest. Ten core themes were identified, including microbiome, metabolomics, oxidative stress, and gut microbiota dysbiosis. Research evolved from descriptive association studies (2015–2019) to mechanistic explorations (2019–2022), then to microbiota-gut-nerve axis interventions (2022–2025). Burst detection highlighted “Mendelian randomization”, “causal relationship”, and “traditional Chinese medicine” as top frontiers. Co-citation analysis pinpointed foundational studies. Conclusion:This analysis reveals the rapid evolution of DPN research under the gut-brain axis framework, marked by a shift from correlation to causation and intervention evaluation. Future priorities include high-quality clinical trials for microbiota-modulating therapies and multi-omics integration to clarify precise mechanisms.