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Acupuncture Treatment in a Mouse Model of Chronic Hypoxia-Induced Cognitive Dysfunction
Published on: December 8, 2023
Electroacupuncture attenuates the decrease of hippocampal progenitor cell proliferation in the adult rats exposed to
1Institute of Acupuncture Research WHO Collaborating Center for Traditional Medicine, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Life Sciences
|November 3, 2007
Summary
Electroacupuncture (EA) may alleviate depression symptoms in rats. This study found EA treatment improved behavioral deficits and increased progenitor cell proliferation in the hippocampus of rats exposed to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS).
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Integrative and Complementary Medicine
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) is a common method for inducing depression-like behavioral deficits in animal models.
- Reduced hippocampal progenitor cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus (DG) is implicated in depression.
- Electroacupuncture (EA) is a potential therapeutic intervention for various conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the antidepressant-like effects of EA in a CUS-induced rat model of depression.
- To examine the impact of EA on progenitor cell proliferation in the DG of the hippocampus.
Main Methods:
- Rats were subjected to CUS to induce depression-like behaviors.
- EA was applied to acupoints Bai-Hui (Du 20) and An-Mian (EX 17) daily for three weeks.
- Behavioral activity was assessed using the open field test and forced swimming test.
- Proliferation of hippocampal progenitor cells in the DG was evaluated using 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling and immunohistochemistry.
Main Results:
- CUS exposure led to decreased behavioral activity, indicative of depression-like symptoms.
- Daily EA treatment significantly reversed the behavioral deficits in CUS-exposed rats.
- Hippocampal progenitor cell proliferation in the DG was reduced in CUS rats, and EA treatment prevented this reduction.
Conclusions:
- EA demonstrates a potential antidepressant-like effect in a rat model of depression induced by CUS.
- The antidepressant effects of EA may be mediated by the upregulation of hippocampal progenitor cell proliferation in the DG.