Effects of deep and superficial needling on depression-like behavior and cortical neurotrophic factors in rats after chronic immobilization stress
Objective:To observe the anti-depressant effect of deep and superficial needling on chronic restraint stress induced depressive rats,and to explore the influence of acupuncture on expression of neurotrophic factors in cortex.Methods:A total of 24 SD rats were randomly divided into control group,model group,deep needling group and superficial needling group,with 6 rats in each group.Except for the control group,the depression model was established by 21-day chronic immobilization stress.The deep needling group and superficial needling group were given perpendicular needling and horizontal needling at'Taichong'(LR 3)point respectively,once a day for 21 days.The modeling and treatment effects of depression were evaluated using bodyweight on the 21st day,open field test,and novelty suppressed feeding test.Fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western Blot technique were applied for detecting gene and protein expression of nerve growth factor(NGF)and brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)in cortex respestively.Results:Compared with the control group,the body weight of the model group was significantly lower(P＜0.01);and the body weight of the deep needling group was higher than that of the model group(P＜0.05).In the model group,the total movement distance in 5 minutes,the movement distance in the side zone,the movement distance in the central zone,the total average velocity,the average velocity in the side zone and the average velocity in the central zone were all significantly lower than those of the control group(P＜0.01).The total movement distance,the movement distance in the side zone,the total average velocity and the average velocity in the side zone of the deep needling group were significantly higher than those in the model group(P＜0.05).The latency of feeding of the model group was significantly higher than that of the control group(P＜0.01);Compared with the model group,the latency of feeding was shorter in both the deep needling group and the superficial needling group(P＜0.01),and the latency of the deep needling group was shorter than that of the superficial needling group(P＜0.01).Compared with the control group,the mRNA and protein expression of NGF and BDNF in the model group decreased significantly(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);Compared with the model group,deep needling group could result to increase the mRNA and protein expression of NGF and BDNF in cortex(P＜0.05).Conclusion:Deep needling at'Taichong'(LR 3)point can improve depression-like behaviors in rats after chronic immobilization stress,and play anti-depressant effects,which was superior to superficial needling.The mechnism might be related to adjusting the abnormal expression of NGF and BDNF in cortex.
Deep and superficial needlingChronic immobilization stressAnti-depressive effectCortexNerve growth factor(NGF)Brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF)
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