title: [Effect of acupuncture on expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene and protein in frontal cortex and hippocampus of depression rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the influence of acupuncture of "Baihui" (GV 20) to "Yintang" (EX-HN 3) and unilateral "Neiguan" (PC 6) on the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene and protein in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in chronic stress-induced depression rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups (6 rats/group): control, control + acupuncture, model, and model + acupuncture. Depression model was established by giving the rats with repeated abstinence of food and water, illumination at night, forced cold water-swimming, vibration, tail-clamping, constraint and raising alone for 28 days. Acupuncture was applied to "Baihui" (GV 20) to "Yintang" (EX-HN 3) and unilateral "Neiguan"(PC 6) once every other day for 28 days. The expression levels of BDNF mRNA and protein of the frontal cortex and hippocampus tissues were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blot methods, separately.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the control group, the expression levels of BDNF mRNA and protein in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were significantly decreased in the model group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Whereas compared with the model group, BDNF mRNA and protein expression levels in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were significantly upregulated in the model + acupuncture group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). No significant differences were found between the control and control + acupuncture groups in the expression levels of cortical and hippocampal BDNF mRNA and protein (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acupuncture can effectively reverse chronic stress-induced down-regulation of BDNF mRNA and protein expression in the frontal cortex and hippocampus in depression rats, which may contribute to its effect in anti-depression by protecting the regeneration of neurons.
authors.affiliation: School of Acu-moxibustion and Tuina, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Shan-Fu
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Jun-Ren
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tu
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D003863:Depression / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor