Yang Tae Young, Jang Eun Young, Ryu Yeonhee, Lee Gyu Won, Lee Eun Byeol, Chang Suchan, Lee Jong Han, Koo Jin Suk, Yang Chae Ha, Kim Hee Young
College of Korean Medicine, Daegu Haany University, Daegu, 42158, South Korea.
Korean Medicine Fundamental Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, 34054, South Korea.
BMC Complement Altern Med. 2017 Dec 11;17(1):528. doi: 10.1186/s12906-017-2039-y.
Acupuncture has been used as a common therapeutic tool in many disorders including anxiety and depression. Serotonin transporter (SERT) plays an important role in the pathology of anxiety and other mood disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of acupuncture on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced anxiety-like behaviors and SERT in the dorsal raphe nuclei (DRN).
Rats were given acupuncture at ST41 (Jiexi), LI11 (Quchi) or SI3 (Houxi) acupoint in LPS-treated rats. Anxiety-like behaviors of elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field test (OFT) were measured and expressions of SERT and/or c-Fos were also examined in the DRN using immunohistochemistry.
The results showed that 1) acupuncture at ST41 acupoint, but neither LI11 nor SI3, significantly attenuated LPS-induced anxiety-like behaviors in EPM and OFT, 2) acupuncture at ST41 decreased SERT expression increased by LPS in the DRN.
Our results suggest that acupuncture can ameliorate anxiety-like behaviors, possibly through regulation of SERT in the DRN.
针灸已成为包括焦虑症和抑郁症在内的多种疾病的常用治疗手段。5-羟色胺转运体（SERT）在焦虑症及其他情绪障碍的病理过程中发挥重要作用。本研究旨在评估针刺对脂多糖（LPS）诱导的焦虑样行为及中缝背核（DRN）中SERT的影响。
对经LPS处理的大鼠针刺足三里（ST41，解溪）、曲池（LI11）或后溪（SI3）穴位。采用高架十字迷宫（EPM）和旷场试验（OFT）检测焦虑样行为，并运用免疫组化法检测DRN中SERT和/或c-Fos的表达。
结果显示：1）针刺ST41穴位可显著减轻LPS诱导的EPM和OFT中的焦虑样行为，而针刺LI11和SI3穴位则无此效果；2）针刺ST41可降低LPS诱导的DRN中SERT的表达。
我们的结果表明，针刺可能通过调节DRN中的SERT来改善焦虑样行为。
