Objective: A large body of evidence has suggested that the disruptions of neural plasticity in the brain play a pivotal role in major depressive disorder (MDD). Electroacupuncture (EA) therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment modality for MDD. However, the mechanism underling the antidepressive effect of EA treatment has not been clearly elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the antidepressant-like effects of EA associated with its protection effect of synaptic structural plasticity.
Methods: An MDD model was induced by exposing Sprague Dawley rats to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). EA stimulation (Hegu and Taichong) and AMPA receptor (AMPAR) antagonist NBQX intrahippocampal injection were used to treat the depressed rats.
Results: We found EA improved behavioral performance, enhanced synaptic structural plasticity, and upregulated gene and protein levels of GluR1, GluR2, Stargazin, Pick1, SYP, PSD-95, and GAP-43. AMPAR antagonist NBQX had the opposite effect on behavioral performance, synaptic plasticity, and the aforementioned genes and proteins.
Conclusions: These results suggest that EA has a potent antidepressant effect, likely through upregulated expression of the AMPAR and protected neural plasticity in CUMS-treated rats.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2020.04.042 | DOI Listing |
Immunobiology
January 2025
Department of Internal Medicine / Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. Electronic address:
Background: Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is a persistent skin condition with no known cause or trigger. The unpredictability of CSU attacks lowers patients' quality of life. NOD-like receptor pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) gene dysregulation can result in numerous immunological and inflammatory diseases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGen Physiol Biophys
January 2025
Department of Psychiatry, Hubei Province Huangshi City Mental Hospital, Huangshi, China.
Dysfunction of astrocytes has a crucial role in the pathology of depression. Here, we aimed to define the exact action of the ubiquitous transcription factor (TF) Yin Yang-1 (Yy1) in depression pathogenesis and astrocytic dysfunction. A chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) mouse model was generated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBrain Res Bull
January 2025
Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Clinical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China; Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China. Electronic address:
Depression is commonly associated with gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, such as constipation, which can potentially intensify depressive symptoms. The interplay between these conditions is believed to be facilitated by the gut-brain axis, which suggests a complex bidirectional interaction. Current treatments, such as antidepressants and prokinetics, are often associated with side effects and high recurrence rates, highlighting the need for effective treatments targeting both depression and constipation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeuropharmacology
January 2025
Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy. Electronic address:
Anhedonia, a transdiagnostic symptom prevalent in depressive and psychotic disorders, poses a significant challenge for pharmacological intervention due to its association with impaired motivation. Understanding how psychotropic drugs can modulate this pathological domain and elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying such effects are crucial endeavors in psychiatric research. In this study, we aimed to investigate the pro-motivational properties of lurasidone in a rat (Sprague Dawley males) model of anhedonia and to unravel the interplay between lurasidone and the brain regions critical for reward processing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFish Physiol Biochem
January 2025
Neurobiology Program, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia.
Stress plays a key role in mental, neurological, endocrine, and immune disorders. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is rapidly gaining popularity as s model organism in stress physiology and neuroscience research. Although the leopard (leo) fish are a common outbred zebrafish strain, their behavioral phenotypes and stress responses remain poorly characterized.
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