Acupuncture stimulation at HT7 alleviates maternal separation-induced behavioral changes via regulation of serotonin system in the prefrontal cortex of rat pups

4^th Global Acupuncture & Therapists Annual Meeting and International Conference on Holistic Medicine & Holistic Nursing

July 14-16, 2016 Philadelphia, USA

Seungtae Kim

Pusan National University School of Korean Medicine, Republic of Korea

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: Altern Integr Med

Abstract :

The present study investigated a possible role of acupuncture in alleviating depression-like behavioral changes and regulating serotonin signaling in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of maternally-separated rat pups. On postnatal day 15, rat pups were maternally-separated and received acupuncture stimulation at acupoint HT7 or ST36 once a day for 7 days. On postnatal day 21, the tail suspension test was performed and the PFC was harvested. Tissue levels of serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindole- 3-acetic acid (5-HIAA) were then measured by high performance liquid chromatography analysis and the expressions of serotonin transporter (5-HTT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were assessed by Western blotting. The levels of 5-HT and 5-HIAA were not significantly changed, but 5-HIAA/5-HT ratio was significantly increased by maternal separation. The immobility time of maternally-separated rat pups was increased, and increased 5-HTT expression and decreased BDNF level were observed in the PFC. But acupuncture stimulation at HT7 alleviated the behavioral change and regulated the changes of 5-HIAA/5-HT ratio, 5-HTT and BDNF. Acupuncture stimulation at HT7 can relieve the maternal separation-induced changes, and we propose that the regulations of 5-HIAA/5-HT ratio and 5-HTT expression by acupuncture stimulation play an important role in the acupuncture-induced benefits in this animal model of depression.

Biography :

Email: glycy95@hanmail.net