NGF and irritable bowel syndrome: At the peripheral level, acupuncture may regulate pain signal production in IBS through several pathways: (1) By improving the inflammatory environment, blocking NGF/TrkA pathway, reducing the number of MCs and inhibiting their degranulation, TRPV1 ion channel, which modulates pain development in intestinal nerve cells can be inhibited, Ca2+ inflow and neuron excitation can be reduced, and the release of SP, CGRP, and other neurotransmitters can be inhibited.