ArticleFrontiers in behavioral neuroscience2022
Electroacupuncture attenuates LPS-induced depression-like behavior through kynurenine pathway.
Article in Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy and influencing factors of acupuncture in major depressive disorder: a systematic review and exploratory network meta-analysis.CNS spectrums · 2026Pooled it
- Acupuncture combined with antidepressants for mild-to-moderate depressive disorders: a systematic review with meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis.Frontiers in neurology · 2025Pooled it
- Does acupuncture treatment modulate inflammatory cytokines in rodent models of depression? A systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience · 2024Pooled it
- Amino Acid Metabolism in Health and Disease.MedComm · 2026Review
- Left Putamen-ACC connectivity underlies the interaction of self-control and achievement motivation on post-loss risk-taking adjustment.Cognitive, affective & behavioral neuroscience · 2026Article
- Mechanism-Driven Translation of Electroacupuncture for Depression: Bridging the Gap Between Preclinical and Clinical Research.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2026Review
- Effects of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation and Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation on Peripheral Inflammatory Factors in Patients with Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia: A 2×2 Factorial Design Protocol.Journal of inflammation research · 2026Article
- Xiaoyao San against depression via glia-mediated neuroinflammation using network pharmacology and experimental validation.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Mechanisms of acupuncture in treating depression: a review.Chinese medicine · 2025Review
- Article
- Mindfulness-Based Finger Exercise for Health and Well-Being: Theory, Evidence, and Implications.Global advances in integrative medicine and healthArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: A growing body of evidence suggests that inflammation and changes in glutamate neurotransmission are two pathophysiological mechanisms underlying depression. Electroacupuncture (EA) is a common therapeutic tool for the treatment of depression. However, the potential antidepressant mechanism of EA remains obscure. The change of the kynurenine pathway (KP) is the research priority of antidepressant mechanisms. This study will investigate the role of EA on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced depression-like behavior and explore its possible mechanism of action. Methods: Lipopolysaccharide was used to induce depression-like behavior, and EA was given at Hegu (L14) and Taichong (LR3) acupoints in C57BL/6J mice. Depression-like behaviors were measured by behavioral tests, including tail suspension test (TST), sucrose preference test (SPT), force swim test (FST), and open field test (OFT). The levels of inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, and KP enzyme IDO1 were measured by qPCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), while high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was performed to detect the content of prefrontal cortex and hippocampal as well as serum glutamate, tryptophan (TRP), kynurenic (KYN), and quinolinic acid (QA). Results: The results showed that (1) as evidenced by increased spontaneous locomotor activities, decreased immobility duration, and a stronger preference for sucrose in the sucrose preference test, EA reversed LPS-challenged depressive-like behavior. (2) EA at L14 and LR3 decreased the levels of inflammatory cytokines, inhibited IDO1, and regulated KP metabolisms, as well as lowered the concentration of glutamate. (3) EA may exert anti-depression effects by acting on the kynurenine pathway. Conclusion: This study evaluated the effects of EA on depression-like behaviors induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and its regulation of inflammation and the glutamatergic system. Our results suggest that EA can ameliorate depression-like behaviors, lower the level of inflammation, and reduce the release of glutamate, possibly through the regulation of the kynurenine pathway in the brain.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.