Effects of Electroacupuncture at Auricular Concha Region on the Depressive Status of Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Rat Models

Liu, Ru-Peng; Fang, Jiliang; Rong, Peijing; Zhao, Yufeng; Meng, Hong; Ben, Hui; Li, Liang; Huang, Zhiqiang; Li, Xia; Ma, Ying-Ge; Zhu, Bing

doi:10.1155/2013/789674

Cited by 44 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…These results were similar to the behavior changes of the chronic stress model rats in the previous studies [22]. It was explained that the stress model set up in this study was successful.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Acupuncture Relieves the Excessive Excitation of Hypothalamic‐Pituitary‐Adrenal Cortex Axis Function and Correlates with the Regulatory Mechanism of GR, CRH, and ACTHR

Wang

Zhang

Qie

2014

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

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It had been indicated in the previous studies that acupuncture relieved the excessive excitation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal cortex axis (HPAA) function induced by stress stimulation. But the changes in glucocorticoid receptor (GR) induced by acupuncture have not been detected clearly. The objective of the study was to observe the impacts of acupuncture on the protein expressions of corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocorticotropic hormone receptor (ACTHR), and GR under the physiological and stress states. The results showed that under the stress state, acupuncture upregulated the protein expression of GR in the hippocampus, hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), and pituitary gland, downregulated the protein expression of GR in the adrenal cortex, and obviously reduced the protein expressions of CRH and ACTHR. Under the physiological state, acupuncture promoted GR protein expression in the hippocampus and CRH protein expression in the hippocampus and PVN. The results explained that acupuncture regulated the stress reaction via promoting the combination of glucocorticoids (GC) with GR, and GR protein expression. The increase of GR protein expression induced feedback inhibition on the overexpression of CRH and ACTHR, likely decreased GC level, and caused the reduction of GR protein expression in the adrenal cortex.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Acupuncture Relieves the Excessive Excitation of Hypothalamic‐Pituitary‐Adrenal Cortex Axis Function and Correlates with the Regulatory Mechanism of GR, CRH, and ACTHR

Wang

Zhang

Qie

2014

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

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“…The open field test was used to study the exploratory and locomotor activity [22, 23]. As seen in Figure 1(c), in the open field test, there was significant difference among groups in the number of crossings after stress procedure [ F (4,45) = 8.03, P < 0.01].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acupuncture Activates ERK-CREB Pathway in Rats Exposed to Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress

Lü

Jia

Wang

et al. 2013

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

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Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) signal pathway has been implicated in the pathogenesis of depression. There is growing evidence that acupuncture in traditional Chinese medicine has antidepressant-like effect. However, the effect of acupuncture on ERK-CREB pathway remains unknown. In our study, the antidepressant-like effect of acupuncture treatment was measured by sucrose intake test and open field test in rats exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) for 4 weeks. The protein levels of ERK1/2, CREB, phosphorylated ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2), and phosphorylated CREB (p-CREB) in the hippocampus (HP) and prefrontal cortex (PFC) were examined by Western blot analysis. Our results showed that CUMS rats exhibited the reduction in behavioral activities, whereas acupuncture stimulation at acupoints Baihui (Du20) and Neiguan (PC6) reversed the behavioral deficit. In addition, exposure to CUMS resulted in the decrease of p-ERK1/2 and p-CREB in the HP and PFC. Acupuncture increased the ratio of p-ERK1/2 to ERK1/2 and the ratio of p-CREB to CREB in the HP and PFC. Our study suggested that one potential way, by which acupuncture had antidepressant-like effect, might be mediated by activating the ERK-CREB pathway in the brain.

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“…In recent years the major sites of interest for delivering electrical stimulation to the ABVN have been the inner surface of the tragus (Busch et al, 2013;Clancy et al, 2014;Kraus et al, 2013;Stavrakis et al, 2015;Weise et al, 2015;Zhou et al, 2016), the concha (Ay et al, 2015b;Fang et al, 2015;He et al, 2013b;Liu et al, 2013), and the cymba concha (Frangos et al, 2015;Kreuzer et al, 2014). In parallel with these ear studies, a method said to allow non-invasive cervical vagus nerve stimulation through the skin of the neck has also been developed and is under investigation in patients with cluster headache (Nesbitt et al, 2015) and migraine (Barbanti et al, 2015).…”

Section: Cardiac Effects Of Tvnsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The strange case of the ear and the heart: The auricular vagus nerve and its influence on cardiac control

Murray

Atkinson

Mahadi

et al. 2016

Autonomic Neuroscience

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The human ear seems an unlikely candidate for therapies aimed at improving cardiac function, but the ear and the heart share a common connection: the vagus nerve. In recent years there has been increasing interest in the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (ABVN), a unique cutaneous subdivision of the vagus distributed to the external ear. Non-invasive electrical stimulation of this nerve through the skin may offer a simple, cost-effective alternative to the established method of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), which requires a surgical procedure and has generated mixed results in a number of clinical trials for heart failure. This review discusses the available evidence in support of modulating cardiac activity using this strange auricular nerve.

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Effects of Electroacupuncture at Auricular Concha Region on the Depressive Status of Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Rat Models

Cited by 44 publications

References 23 publications

Acupuncture Relieves the Excessive Excitation of Hypothalamic‐Pituitary‐Adrenal Cortex Axis Function and Correlates with the Regulatory Mechanism of GR, CRH, and ACTHR

Acupuncture Relieves the Excessive Excitation of Hypothalamic‐Pituitary‐Adrenal Cortex Axis Function and Correlates with the Regulatory Mechanism of GR, CRH, and ACTHR

Acupuncture Activates ERK-CREB Pathway in Rats Exposed to Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress

The strange case of the ear and the heart: The auricular vagus nerve and its influence on cardiac control

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