title: [Effect of electroacupuncture on hippocampal apoptosis and JNK signal pathway in chronic stress depression rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on hippocampal apoptosis and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signal pathway in chronic stress depression rats so as to study its mechanism underlying acupuncture-induced improvement of depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-five SD rats were randomly divided into control, control + EA, model, EA and Prozac groups, with 13 rats in each. Open-field test was used to detect the rats' behavior changes. The apoptotic rate of the hippocampal cells was detected by Annexin V fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)/ Propidium iodide (PI) (Annexin V-FITC/PI) double-staining, and the expression of hippocampal JNK protein detected by Western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After repeated stress stimulation (21 days), the crossing numbers (1.8 +/- 0.2) and rearing times (0.5 +/- 0.01) in the model group were apparently lower than those (48.1 +/- 18.3, 14.2 +/- 2.4) in the control group and those (47.2 +/- 15.8, 13.5 +/- 2.6) in the control + EA group (P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the crossing numbers and rearing times (40.2 +/- 10.1, 10.3 +/- 2.2) during 3 min in the EA group and those (39.8 +/- 12.4, 10.6 +/- 3.2) in the Prozac group were increased considerably (P < 0.05). The hippocampal apoptotic rate was significantly higher in the model group (67 +/- 10) than in the control (53 +/- 13) and control + EA groups (52 +/- 10, P < 0.05). In comparison with the model group, the apoptotic rate (29 +/- 9) of the EA group and that (51 +/- 13) of the Prozac group were significantly lower (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the phosphorylated JNK (p-JNK) level was considerably higher in the model group (P < 0.05); while compared with the model group, the p-JNK level was significantly lower in the EA and Pozac groups (P < 0.05). No apparent differences were found between the EA and and Prozac groups in the aforementioned indexes (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EA can reduce hippocampal apoptotic rate and down-regulate hippocampal p-JNK level in depression rats, which is responsible for its effect in improving depression-induced decreased movement.
authors.affiliation: College of Acu-moxibustion and Massage, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Wei-Dong
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000628:therapy; D003863:Depression / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015536:Down-Regulation; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases