Molecular-level effects of acupuncture on depression: a genome-wide transcriptome analysis of pituitary gland in rats exposed to chronic restraint stress

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antidepressant mechanism of acupuncture at the molecular level in the pituitary gland of rats exposed to chronic restraint stress(CRS).METHODS: Forty-eight rats were randomly divided into a control group(C), model group(M), fluoxetine group(F), and acupuncture group(A)....

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Published inJournal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan Vol. 37; no. 4; pp. 486 - 495
Main Authors Wang, Yu, Jiang, Huili, Li, Jing, Yang, Xinjing, Zhao, Bingcong, Yu, Qiuyun, Liang, Xingchen, Bao, Tuya, Meng, Hong
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published China 01.08.2017
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Summary:OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antidepressant mechanism of acupuncture at the molecular level in the pituitary gland of rats exposed to chronic restraint stress(CRS).METHODS: Forty-eight rats were randomly divided into a control group(C), model group(M), fluoxetine group(F), and acupuncture group(A). CRS was induced in the model group by restraining rats for 28 days. Groups F and A were given fluoxetine administration and acupuncture intervention, respectively, 1 h before the CRS procedures were implemented. On the 29 th day, rat pituitary glands were harvested for RNA extraction and RNA-sequencing analysis.RESULTS: Differentially expressed gene analysis identified 148, 87, and 179 response genes differen-tially expressed in group C vs group M, group F vs group M, and group A vs group M, respectively. Using Gene Ontology term enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis, we identified the up-regulation of gene sets involved in extracellular space,receptor binding, and monoamine neurotransmitter metabolism, and the down-regulation of gene sets involved in immune response and inflammatory response as the prevailing transcriptomic signatures in the pituitary gland of rats treated with CRS,fluoxetine, or acupuncture.CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that acupuncture has a multitarget antidepressant effect at the molecular and behavioral levels.
Bibliography:Acupuncture; Depression; Pituitary gland; Gene ontology; RNA, Behavior
11-2167/R
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antidepressant mechanism of acupuncture at the molecular level in the pituitary gland of rats exposed to chronic restraint stress(CRS).METHODS: Forty-eight rats were randomly divided into a control group(C), model group(M), fluoxetine group(F), and acupuncture group(A). CRS was induced in the model group by restraining rats for 28 days. Groups F and A were given fluoxetine administration and acupuncture intervention, respectively, 1 h before the CRS procedures were implemented. On the 29 th day, rat pituitary glands were harvested for RNA extraction and RNA-sequencing analysis.RESULTS: Differentially expressed gene analysis identified 148, 87, and 179 response genes differen-tially expressed in group C vs group M, group F vs group M, and group A vs group M, respectively. Using Gene Ontology term enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis, we identified the up-regulation of gene sets involved in extracellular space,receptor binding, and monoamine neurotransmitter metabolism, and the down-regulation of gene sets involved in immune response and inflammatory response as the prevailing transcriptomic signatures in the pituitary gland of rats treated with CRS,fluoxetine, or acupuncture.CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that acupuncture has a multitarget antidepressant effect at the molecular and behavioral levels.
ISSN:0255-2922
2589-451X
DOI:10.1016/S0254-6272(17)30155-3