Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Departamento de Fisiología, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Escuela Nacional de Medicina y Homeopatía, Departamento de Posgrado e Investigación, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
Brain Res Bull. 2021 Aug;173:53-65. doi: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2021.05.007. Epub 2021 May 12.
Post-weaning social isolated rodents exhibit pathophysiological changes associated with depression including adrenal axis hyperactivity, gonadal hormone level disturbances, molecular alterations in hippocampus, and immobility behavior in the forced swimming test (FST). Although acupuncture by absorbable thread implantation (acu-catgut, AC) elicits antidepressant-like effects in social isolated rats, AC effects on neuroendocrine and hippocampal molecular alterations have been less characterized.
To investigate the participation of gonadal hormones, corticosterone, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) hippocampal expression, on the AC antidepressant-like effects in social isolated male rats.
Sprague-Dawley male rats were raised in social isolation (SI) or standard conditions, for 11 weeks. AC (on Baihui (Du20), Yintang (E X-HN3), Shenshu (BL 23), Pishu (BL 20), Ganshu (BL 18), Xinshu (BL 15) and Guanyuan (Ren 4)), or Sham-AC (puncturing of acupoints without embedding the thread), was applied during the last three weeks of isolation period. Rats were evaluated in the FST; hormones plasmatic levels and hippocampal BDNF content were quantified by ELISA and Western blotting, respectively.
Social isolated rats showed more immobility in the FST and had lower testosterone and estradiol levels, higher corticosterone levels, and reduced hippocampal BDNF content than controls. BDNF level in hippocampus inversely correlated to depression-like behavior. AC but not sham-AC normalized immobility behavior, steroid hormone levels, and BDNF content, as in rats raised in a social environment.
AC antidepressant effect could be related to an improvement of hippocampal BDNF protein expression, as well as corticosterone and sex hormones disturbances associated with prolonged exposure to stress caused by social isolation. Present findings have implications for depression treatment in individuals early exposed to stress.
断奶后社交隔离的啮齿动物表现出与抑郁相关的病理生理变化，包括肾上腺轴活性亢进、性腺激素水平紊乱、海马分子改变以及强迫游泳试验（FST）中的不动行为。虽然可吸收线植入（acu-catgut，AC）针灸在社交隔离大鼠中产生抗抑郁样作用，但 AC 对神经内分泌和海马分子改变的影响尚未得到充分描述。
研究性腺激素、皮质酮和脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）海马表达在社交隔离雄性大鼠 AC 抗抑郁样作用中的参与作用。
Sprague-Dawley 雄性大鼠在社交隔离（SI）或标准条件下饲养 11 周。AC（百会（Du20）、印堂（EX-HN3）、肾俞（BL23）、脾俞（BL20）、肝俞（BL18）、心俞（BL15）和关元（任 4））或 Sham-AC（穴位针刺而不植入线）在隔离期的最后三周内应用。大鼠在 FST 中进行评估；通过 ELISA 和 Western blot 分别定量测定激素血浆水平和海马 BDNF 含量。
社交隔离大鼠在 FST 中表现出更多的不动行为，且睾酮和雌二醇水平较低，皮质酮水平较高，海马 BDNF 含量降低，与对照组相比。海马 BDNF 水平与抑郁样行为呈负相关。AC 但不是 Sham-AC 可使不动行为、类固醇激素水平和 BDNF 含量正常化，如同在社交环境中饲养的大鼠一样。
AC 的抗抑郁作用可能与改善海马 BDNF 蛋白表达以及与社交隔离引起的长期应激相关的皮质酮和性激素紊乱有关。本研究结果对早期暴露于应激的个体的抑郁治疗具有重要意义。
