title: [Effect of electroacupuncture intervention on expression of ATP-binding cassette protein and gene in the cerebral cortex of depression rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the expression of blood-brain barrier (BBB)-related functional protein, ATP-binding cassette protein and gene in the cerebral cortex of depression rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty SD rats were equally and randomly divided into control group, EA group, depressive (model) group and depression + EA group. The depression model was established by chronic unpredictable mild stress. EA (2 Hz, 1 mA) was applied to "Baihui"(GV 20) and "Yamen"(GV 15) for 20 min, once daily for 14 days. The expression levels of multidrug resistance (Mdr) 1a, Mdr 1b, multidrug resistance-associated protein (Mrp) 1, Mrp 4, Mrp 5, and breast cancer resistance protein (Bcrp) gene and proteins in the cerebral cortex tissue were detected by RT-PCR semi-quantitative analysis and Western blot, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In comparison with the control group, no obvious changes were found in the expression levels of cerebral Mdr la, Mdr 1b, Mrp 1, Mrp 4, Mrp 5 and Bcrp genes and proteins in the model group (P > 0.05), and only cerebral Mdr 1a gene and protein expression levels in the EA group were evidently down-regulated (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, only cerebral Mdr la gene and protein expression levels were obviously decreased in the depression+ EA group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). No significant changes were found in the Mdr 1b, Mrp 1, Mrp 4, Mrp 5 and Bcrp genes and proteins after EA intervention in depression rats (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EA of GV 20 and GV 15 can obviously down-regulate the expression of cerebral Mdr 1a in depression rats which might be involved in the opening activity of blood-brain barrier.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Integrated Acupuncture and Drugs, Ministry of Education and Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210046, China. nzyyubin@163.com
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruan
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Long
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D003863:Depression / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015671:Electroacupuncture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D027425:ATP-Binding Cassette, Sub-Family C Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D027425:ATP-Binding Cassette, Sub-Family C Proteins; C489542:Abcc4 protein, rat; C492375:Abcc5 protein, rat; C421109:multidrug resistance-associated protein 1