ArticleFrontiers in molecular neuroscience2018
Electro-Acupuncture Alleviates Chronic Unpredictable Stress-Induced Depressive- and Anxiety-Like Behavior and Hippocampal Neuroinflammation in Rat Model of Depression.
Article in Frontiers in molecular neuroscience, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 55 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
55 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 96 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effect of acupuncture on neuroinflammatory responses in depression animals: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Pooled it
- Efficacy and mechanism of acupuncture in animal models of depressive-like behaviors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2024Pooled it
- Peripheral Blood Inflammatory Cytokine Factors Expressions are Associated with Response to Acupuncture Therapy in Postpartum Depression Patients.Journal of inflammation research · 2023Trial
- Both Genetic Manipulation and Acupuncture Alleviate Depressive-Like Behavior Mediated by Astrocytic P2X7 Receptors.MedComm · 2026Article
- Butyrate Is Associated with the Antidepressant Effects ofInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Electroacupuncture enhances the effects of escitalopram oxalate on glucocorticoid-inducible genes, inflammation and neurotrophin in depressed patients.Journal of traditional and complementary medicine · 2026Article
- Advances in the Antidepressant Effects of Electroacupuncture Through Regulation of Microglia-Mediated BDNF Signaling and Hippocampal Neurogenesis.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2026Review
- Acupuncture's Regulatory Role in Glial Cells and Their Interactions for Antidepressant Effects: A Review of Research Progress.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2026Review
- Article
- Electroacupuncture attenuates anxiety caused by chronic mild stress through inhibiting NOX2-derived oxidative stress in ventral hippocampus.Neurobiology of stress · 2025Article
- Microglia Sing the Prelude of Neuroinflammation-Associated Depression.Molecular neurobiology · 2025Review
- Mechanisms of acupuncture in treating depression: a review.Chinese medicine · 2025Review
- Limosilactobacillus reuteri fermented brown rice alleviates anxiety improves cognition and modulates gut microbiota in stressed mice.NPJ science of food · 2025Article
- Effects of different electrical stimulation on depression: a protocol for systematic review and network meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Acupuncture may play a key role in anti-depression through various mechanisms in depression.Chinese medicine · 2024Review
- Major depressive disorder: hypothesis, mechanism, prevention and treatment.Signal transduction and targeted therapy · 2024Review
- Acupuncture for early Parkinson's disease with mild to moderate depression: a randomized controlled trial protocol with functional MRI.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Article
- Acupressure: a possible therapeutic strategy for anxiety related to COVID-19: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in medicine · 2024Review
- Electroacupuncture Mechanisms in Managing Preoperative Anxiety and Postoperative Pain Chronification: A Review.Journal of pain research · 2024Review
- Electroacupuncture versus Escitalopram for mild to moderate Post-Stroke Depression: A randomized non-inferiority trial.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Depression is the second leading cause of disability worldwide. The effects of clinical depression may be mediated by neuroinflammation such as activation of microglia and high levels of proinflammatory cytokines in certain brain areas. Traditional Chinese medicine techniques such as electro-acupuncture (EA) are used extensively in Asia to treat mental health disorders. However, EA has not been rigorously studied in treatment of depression. This study was designed to assess the effectiveness of EA on depressive-like behavior and explore the role of hippocampal neuroinflammation in the potential antidepressant effect of EA. In this study, we used six chronic unpredictable stressors daily in a random sequence for 10 weeks. EA were performed on "Bai-Hui" (Du-20) (+) and "Yang-Ling-Quan" (GB-34, the right side; -) acupoints by an EA apparatus (HANS Electronic Apparatus, LH202H, 2/100 Hz, 0.3 mA) for 30 min once every other day for last 4 weeks. The behavior tests including open field test and forced swimming test, which are widely used to assess depressive and anxiety-like behavior were performed on the Monday and Tuesday of the eleventh week. The results showed that 10 week of chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) caused behavioral deficits in rats and neuroinflammation in hippocampus, such as increased expression of NLRP3 inflammasome components, upregulated mRNA level of IL-1β and the protein level of IL-1β mature form (p17) and activation of microglia. Moreover, 4 weeks of EA treatment significantly attenuated behavioral deficits caused by CUS. EA's antidepressant effect was accompanied by markedly decreased expression of certain NLRP3 inflammasome components and matured IL-1β. Meanwhile, EA treatment can significantly reverse CUS-induced increases in P2X7 receptor, Iba-1, IL-18, TNFα and IL-6 expression and decreases in GFAP expression. In conclusion, EA exhibited the antidepressant effect and alleviated the hippocampal neuroinflammation. These findings may provide insight into the role of hippocampal neuroinflammation in the antidepressant effect of EA.
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