Electroacupuncture Ameliorates Depression-Like Behaviors in Post-Stroke Rats via Activating AMPK-Mediated Mitochondrial Function.

Background: Post-stroke depression (PSD) is one of the most common complications of stroke. Electroacupuncture (EA) is an effective traditional Chinese medicine treatment for PSD, which is widely used in clinical settings. EA has a significant therapeutic effect against PSD, but the mechanism is still unclear.

[Effects of electroacupuncture on BNDF/mTORC1 signaling pathway and synaptic plasticity in prefrontal cortex of rats exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress].

Objective: To investigate the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on the expression of related proteins in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)/mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling pathway and synapse-associated proteins and the density of dendrite spines in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of depression model rats, and to reveal the underlying mechanism by which EA regulates the synaptic plasticity to improve depressive symptoms.

Methods: Thirty-six healthy male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group, EA group, and scopolamine (SCOP) group, with 9 in each group. The depression model was established by exposing rats to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) combined with isolated feeding.

Electroacupuncture Ameliorates Depressive-Like State and Synaptic Deficits Induced by Hyper-Cholinergic Tone During Chronic Stress in Rats.

BACKGROUND Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the leading cause of disability around the world. It is generally agreed that the central cholinergic system plays an important role in emotional regulation. Acetylcholine (ACh) is now a new target for antidepressants.

[Acupuncture improves locomotor activity and learning-memory ability by improving hippocampal cellular autophagy in rats with fetal intrauterine distress].

Objective: To investigate the effect of acupuncture stimulation of head acupoints "Jin San Zhen" (JIN's Three Acupuncture Needles Therapy) on behavior reactions, hippocampal neuronal autophagy and expression of autophagy associated proteins (Beclin-1 and light chain 3 Ⅱ/Ⅰ [LC 3 Ⅱ/Ⅰ]) in rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) due to fetal intrauterine distress, so as to reveal its underlying mechanisms in improving neonatal HIBD.

Methods: Pregnant SD rats were used in the present study. The HIBD model was established by delayed caesarean delivery and bilateral uterine arteries clipping for 10 minutes.

Acupuncture protects the interstitial cells of Cajal by regulating miR-222 in a rat model of post-operative ileus.

Background: Recovery of the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) during post-operative ileus (POI) is important for the restoration of gastrointestinal (GI) motility. Acupuncture can protect ICCs, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we investigated whether miR-222, c-kit and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) are involved in the putative effects of acupuncture on ICC recovery.