Effect of acupuncture on Lipopolysaccharide-induced anxiety-like behavioral changes: involvement of serotonin system in dorsal Raphe nucleus

• Published in: BMC complementary and alternative medicine Vol. 17; no. 1; p. 528
• Main Authors: Yang, Tae Young, Jang, Eun Young, Ryu, Yeonhee, Lee, Gyu Won, Lee, Eun Byeol, Chang, Suchan, Lee, Jong Han, Koo, Jin Suk, Yang, Chae Ha, Kim, Hee Young
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 11.12.2017; BioMed Central; BMC
• Subjects: Acupuncture; Acupuncture Therapy; Animals; Anxiety; Anxiety - chemically induced; Anxiety - therapy; Behavior, Animal - physiology; Disease Models, Animal; Dorsal raphe nucleus; Dorsal Raphe Nucleus - chemistry; Dorsal Raphe Nucleus - metabolism; Health aspects; Lipopolysaccharides - adverse effects; LPS; Male; Medical research; Mitogens; Phenols (Class of compounds); Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Serotonin; Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins - metabolism; Serotonin transporter; Anxiety; Serotonin transporter; Acupuncture; Dorsal raphe nucleus; LPS
• ISSN: 1472-6882; 1472-6882
• DOI: 10.1186/s12906-017-2039-y

Acupuncture has been used as a common therapeutic tool in many disorders including anxiety and depression. Serotonin transporter (SERT) plays an important role in the pathology of anxiety and other mood disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of acupuncture on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced anxiety-like behaviors and SERT in the dorsal raphe nuclei (DRN). Rats were given acupuncture at ST41 (Jiexi), LI11 (Quchi) or SI3 (Houxi) acupoint in LPS-treated rats. Anxiety-like behaviors of elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field test (OFT) were measured and expressions of SERT and/or c-Fos were also examined in the DRN using immunohistochemistry. The results showed that 1) acupuncture at ST41 acupoint, but neither LI11 nor SI3, significantly attenuated LPS-induced anxiety-like behaviors in EPM and OFT, 2) acupuncture at ST41 decreased SERT expression increased by LPS in the DRN. Our results suggest that acupuncture can ameliorate anxiety-like behaviors, possibly through regulation of SERT in the DRN.