Restoring the Autonomic Balance in an Atrial Fibrillation Rat Model by Electroacupuncture at the Neiguan Point.

OBJECTIVES: Autonomic nervous activity imbalance plays an important role in atrial fibrillation (AF). AF can be treated by acupuncture at the Neiguan point (PC6), but the mechanism remains elusive. Here, we investigated autonomic nervous system activity in electroacupuncture (EA) at PC6 in a rat AF model. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this study, we established a rat AF model via tail vein injection with ACh-CaCl2 for ten consecutive days with or without EA at PC6. AF inducibility and heart rate variability (HRV) were assessed by electrocardiogram. Next, we completed in vivo recording of the activity of cervical sympathetic and vagal nerves, respectively. Finally, the activities of brain regions related to autonomic nerve regulation were assessed by c-Fos immunofluorescence and multichannel recording. RESULTS: EA at PC6 decreased AF inducibility and prevented changes in HRV caused by ACh-CaCl2 injection. Meanwhile, EA at PC6 reversed the increased sympathetic and decreased vagal nerve activity in AF rats. Furthermore, EA treatment downregulated increased c-Fos expression in brain regions, including paraventricular nucleus, rostral ventrolateral medulla, and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus in AF, while c-Fos expression in nucleus ambiguus was upregulated with EA. CONCLUSION: The protective effect of EA at PC6 on AF is associated with balance between sympathetic and vagal nerve activities.

The relationship between major depressive disorder and dementia: A bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Major depressive disorder (MDD) and dementia psychiatric and neurological diseases that are clinically widespread, but whether there is a causal link between them is still unclear. In this study, bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to investigate the potential causal relationship between MDD and dementia via a genome-wide association study (GWAS) database, containing samples from the European population. METHOD: We collected data on MDD and common clinical dementia subtypes from GWAS, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD), and vascular dementia (VaD). A series of bidirectional two-sample MR studies and correlation sensitivity analysis were carried out. RESULTS: In the study of the effect of MDD on dementia subtypes, no causal relationship was found between MDD and dementia subtypes other than VaD, inverse variance weighted (IVW) method: odds ratio (OR), 2.131; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.249-3.639, P = 0.006; MDD-AD: OR, 1.000; 95 % CI, 0.999-1.001, P = 0.537; MDD-FTD: OR, 1.476; 95 % CI, 0.471-4.627, P = 0.505; MDD-PDD: OR, 0.592; 95 % CI, 0.204-1.718, P = 0.335; MR-Egger method: MDD-DLB: OR, 0.582; 95 % CI, 0.021-15.962, P = 0.751. In reverse MR analyses, no dementia subtype was found to be a risk factor for MDD. LIMITATIONS: The results of this study may not be generalizable to non-European populations. CONCLUSION: MDD was identified as a potential risk factor for VaD, but no dementia subtype was found to be a risk factor for MDD. These results suggest a new avenue for the prevention of VaD.

Current research status and reflection on acupuncture treatment for brain disorders. / é’ˆç¸æ²»ç–—è„‘ç— çš„ç ”ç©¶çŽ°çŠ¶ä¸Žæ€è€ƒ.

Acupuncture has demonstrated positive efficacy in the treatment of brain disorders. However, significant challenges lie in integrating acupuncture with modern technologies, promoting its clinical application in treating brain disorders, elucidating the mechanisms underlying acupuncture's preventive and therapeutic effects on brain disorders, and accelerating the pace of translational development in acupuncture medicine. This paper briefly outlines the current research status, challenges, and potential future directions in acupuncture treatment for brain disorders, aiming to provide essential insights for the modernization and development of acupuncture in the treatment of brain disorders.

Chronic stress in adulthood results in microvascular dysfunction and subsequent depressive-like behavior.

Depression is a prevalent mental disorder characterized by unknown pathogenesis and challenging treatment. Recent meta-analyses reveal an association between cardiovascular risk factors and an elevated risk of depression. Despite this, the precise role of vascular injury in depression development remains unclear. In this investigation, we assess vascular system function in three established animal models of depression- chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) and maternal separation (MS)-utilizing ultrasonography and laser Doppler measurement. All three model animals exhibit anhedonia and despair-like behavior. However, significant microvascular dysfunction (not macrovascular) is observed in animals subjected to CUMS and CSDS models, while such dysfunction is absent in the MS model. Statistical analysis further indicates that microcirculation dysfunction is not only associated with depression-like behavior but is also intricately involved in the development of depression in the CUMS and CSDS models. Furthermore, our study has proved for the first time that endothelial nitric oxide synthase-deficient (eNOS+/-) mice, which is a classic model of vascular endothelial injury, showed depression-like behavior which occurred two months later than microvascular dysfunction. Notably, the mitigation of microvascular dysfunction successfully reverses depression-like behavior in eNOS+/- mice by enhancing nitric oxide production. In conclusion, this study unveils the pivotal role of microvascular dysfunction in the onset of depression induced by chronic stress in adulthood and proposes that modulating microvascular function may serve as a potential intervention in the treatment of depression.

Associations between specific dietary patterns, gut microbiome composition, and incident subthreshold depression in Chinese young adults.

INTRODUCTION: The interplay between influential factors and the incidence of subthreshold depression (SD) in young adults remains poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to understand the dietary habits, gut microbiota composition, etc. among individuals with SD in young adults and to investigate their association with SD occurrence. METHODS: Employing a cross-sectional approach, 178 individuals with SD, aged 18-32 years, were matched with 114 healthy counterparts. SD status was evaluated using the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), Zung Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Beck Depression Inventory 2nd version (BDI-II), the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scales of Depression (HAMD-17), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Metagenomic sequencing was utilized to identify fecal microbial profiles. Dietary patterns were discerned via factor analysis of a 25-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Logistic regression analysis and mediation analysis were performed to explore the potential links between gut microbiota, dietary patterns, and incident SD. RESULTS: Data on dietary habits were available for 292 participants (mean [SD] age, 22.1 [2.9] years; 216 [73.9 %] female). Logistic regression analysis revealed that dietary patterns Ⅰ (odds ratio [OR], 0.34; 95 % CI, 0.15-0.75) and IV (OR, 0.39; 95 % CI, 0.17-0.86 and OR, 0.39; 95 % CI, 0.18-0.84) were associated with reduced risk of SD. Distinct microbial profiles were observed in young adults with SD, marked by increased microbial diversity and taxonomic alterations. Moreover, mediation analysis suggested Veillonella atypica as a potential mediator linking SDS or BDI-II scores with a healthy dietary pattern rich in bean products, coarse grains, nuts, fruits, mushrooms, and potatoes (ß = 0.25, 95 % CI: 0.02-0.78 and ß = 0.18, 95 % CI: 0.01-0.54). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the complex interplay between dietary patterns, gut microbiota, and the risk of developing SD in young adults, underscoring the potential for dietary interventions and microbiome modulation in mental health promotion.

nNOS in Erbb4-positive neurons regulates GABAergic transmission in mouse hippocampus.

Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS, gene name Nos1) orchestrates the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO) within neurons, pivotal for diverse neural processes encompassing synaptic transmission, plasticity, neuronal excitability, learning, memory, and neurogenesis. Despite its significance, the precise regulation of nNOS activity across distinct neuronal types remains incompletely understood. Erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 4 (ErbB4), selectively expressed in GABAergic interneurons and activated by its ligand neuregulin 1 (NRG1), modulates GABA release in the brain. Our investigation reveals the presence of nNOS in a subset of GABAergic interneurons expressing ErbB4. Notably, NRG1 activates nNOS via ErbB4 and its downstream phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), critical for NRG1-induced GABA release. Genetic removal of nNos from Erbb4-positive neurons impairs GABAergic transmission, partially rescued by the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Intriguingly, the genetic deletion of nNos from Erbb4-positive neurons induces schizophrenia-relevant behavioral deficits, including hyperactivity, impaired sensorimotor gating, and deficient working memory and social interaction. These deficits are ameliorated by the atypical antipsychotic clozapine. This study underscores the role and regulation of nNOS within a specific subset of GABAergic interneurons, offering insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms of schizophrenia, given the association of Nrg1, Erbb4, Pi3k, and Nos1 genes with this mental disorder.

[Acupoints compatibility rules of acupuncture for depression disease based on data mining technology].

Based on data mining technology, the acupoints compatibility rules of acupuncture for depression diseases were explored. The randomized controlled trial (RCT) articles regarding acupuncture for depression diseases published from establishment of database to September 2nd, 2022 were searched in CNKI database, Wangfang database, VIP database, SinoMed database, PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library. The use frequency of acupoints, meridian tropism, selection of special acupoints and acupoint association rules for five common depression diseases, including primary depression, post-stroke depression, menopausal syndrome, psychoneurosis and anxiety disorder, were analyzed by Python programming language. Cytoscape software was used to analyze the acupoint association and the disease-acupoint co-occurrence network. As a result, totally 387 articles were included, and 319 acupoints prescriptions for the above five common depression diseases were extracted, involving 159 acupoints. The use frequency of acupoints was 2 574 times in total. The frequently-used acupoints were Baihui (GV 20), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Taichong (LR 3), Neiguan (PC 6), Shenmen (HT 7), Yintang (GV 24+), Zusanli (ST 36), Hegu (LI 4), Sishencong (EX-HN 1) and Taixi (KI 3), etc. The frequently involved meridians were the governor vessel, foot-taiyang bladder meridian, foot-taiyin spleen meridian, and foot-jueyin liver meridian. The frequency of the special acupoints from high to low was crossing points, five-shu points, yuan-primary points, back-shu points, luo-connecting points, and eight confluent points, etc, which were often used in combination with "Baihui (GV 20)-Yintang (GV 24+)" (the highest degree of association). At the same time, the analysis of the co-occurrence network of depression diseases and acupoints showed that the core acupoints group of acupuncture for depression diseases were Baihui (GV 20), Taichong (LR 3), Shenmen (HT 7), Zusanli (ST 36), Neiguan (PC 6) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6). In conclusion, acupuncture treatment for depression diseases has gradually formed a rule of acupoint compatibility, with special acupoint as the main body and "unblocking the governor vessel, and regulating the spirit and qi " as the main therapeutic principle.

Application of in vivo brain imaging technology in the basic research of acupuncture-moxibustion for encephalopathy. / æ´»ä½“è„‘æˆåƒæŠ€æœ¯åœ¨é’ˆç¸è„‘ç— åŸºç¡€ç ”ç©¶ä¸­çš„åº”ç”¨.

Acupuncture-moxibustion is remarkably effective on encephalopathy, but its mechanism is unclear. With the continuous development of imaging technology, the in vivo brain imaging technology has been used increasingly in life science research and it also becomes a more effective tool for the basic research of acupuncture-moxibustion in treatment of encephalopathy. The paper summarizes the application of its technology in the basic research of acupuncture-moxibustion for encephalopathy and the characteristics of imaging, as well as the advantages and shortcomings. It is anticipated that the references may be provided for the basic research of acupuncture-moxibustion in treatment of encephalopathy and be conductive to the modernization of acupuncture-moxibustion.

Neural function of Bmal1: an overview.

Bmal1 (Brain and muscle arnt-like, or Arntl) is a bHLH/PAS domain transcription factor central to the transcription/translation feedback loop of the biologic clock. Although Bmal1 is well-established as a major regulator of circadian rhythm, a growing number of studies in recent years have shown that dysfunction of Bmal1 underlies a variety of psychiatric, neurodegenerative-like, and endocrine metabolism-related disorders, as well as potential oncogenic roles. In this review, we systematically summarized Bmal1 expression in different brain regions, its neurological functions related or not to circadian rhythm and biological clock, and pathological phenotypes arising from Bmal1 knockout. This review also discusses oscillation and rhythmicity, especially in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and provides perspective on future progress in Bmal1 research.

Electroacupuncture-modulated extracellular ATP levels in prefrontal cortex ameliorated depressive-like behavior of maternal separation rats.

Maternal separation (MS) is a type of early-life stress that has been linked to neuropsychiatric disorders, especially depression. Increasing evidence indicates that the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is involved in the pathophysiology of depression. To investigate the potential relationship between ATP in PFC and antidepressant effects of electroacupuncture (EA) treatment, we assessed genes involved in ATP biosynthesis as well as the extracellular ATP levels in a rat model exposed to neonatal MS. Our results demonstrated that reduced expression of ABCG2 (an ATP-binding cassette protein) and ATP levels in the PFC of depressive-like rats exposed to MS can be attenuated by EA stimulus at the Baihui (GV20) and Yintang (GV29) acupoints. Moreover, the antidepressant effect of EA treatment was blocked by administration of suramin, a broad purinergic P2 receptor antagonist. Together, these results suggested that electroacupuncture may be able to modulate extracellular ATP levels in the PFC of depressive-like MS rats, potentially contributing to its antidepressant effects.

Modulating activity of PVN neurons prevents atrial fibrillation induced circulation dysfunction by electroacupuncture at BL15.

BACKGROUND: Circulation dysfunction is a major contributing factor to thrombosis in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) for which effective interventions are lacking. Growing evidence indicates that regulating the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), an autonomic control center, could offer a novel strategy for treating cardiovascular and circulatory diseases. Concurrently, electroacupuncture (EA) at Xinshu (BL15), a form of peripheral nerve stimulation, has shown efficacy in treating several cardiovascular conditions, although its specific mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the impact of EA at BL15 on circulatory dysfunction in a rat AF model and investigate the pivotal role of PVN neuronal activity. METHODS: To mimic the onset of AF, male SD rats received tail intravenous injection of ACh-CaCl2 and were then subjected to EA at BL15, sham EA, or EA at Shenshu (BL23). Macro- and micro-circulation function were evaluated using in vivo ultrasound imaging and laser doppler testing, respectively. Vasomotricity was assessed by measuring dimension changes during vascular relaxation and contraction. Vascular endothelial function was measured using myograph, and the activation of the autonomic nerve system was evaluated through nerve activity signals. Additionally, chemogenetic manipulation was used to block PVN neuronal activation to further elucidate the role of PVN activation in the prevention of AF-induced blood circulation dysfunction through EA treatment. RESULTS: Our data demonstrate that EA at BL15, but not BL23 or sham EA, effectively prevented AF-induced macro- and micro-circulation dysfunction. Furthermore, EA at BL15 restored AF-induced vasomotricity impairment. Additionally, EA treatment prevented abnormal activation of the autonomic nerve system induced by AF, although it did not address vascular endothelial dysfunction. Importantly, excessive activation of PVN neurons negated the protective effects of EA treatment on AF-induced circulation dysfunction in rats. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that EA treatment at BL15 modulates PVN neuronal activity and provides protection against AF-induced circulatory dysfunction.

[Current situation and outlook of acupuncture-moxibustion translational medicine under the background of multi-disciplinary intersection innovation].

The common development of multi-disciplinary intersection is a hot spot in the research of acupuncture- moxibustion translational medicine. This article analyzes the current situation and reasons for slow development of acupuncture-moxibustion translational medicine, takes acupuncture-moxibustion for depressive disorder as an example, takes acupuncture and moxibustion literature, clinical evidence-based, biological mechanism and medical equipment research and development as the main line, expounds potential strategies to promote the development of acupuncture-moxibustion translational medicine under the background of multi-disciplinary intersection innovation, and discusses the future research direction of acupuncture-moxibustion translational medicine.

Comparative Efficacy of Multiple Therapies for the Treatment of Patients With Subthreshold Depression: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Background: Subthreshold depression (SD) is considered to be the precursor stage of major depression, which is correlated with functional impairment and increased suicide rate. Although there are multiple therapies for the treatment of SD, the comparison and efficacy of various methods has yet to be evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of different therapies by performing a Bayesian network meta-analysis. Methods: We searched eight databases on April 3, 2021. Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Beck Depression Inventory scale (BDI), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Kessler Screening Scale for Psychological Distress (K-6) were used as efficacy outcomes. This Bayesian network meta-analysis used a fixed-effects model. Findings: Twenty-one randomized controlled trials involving 5,048 participants were included in this study. The results suggested that electroacupuncture (MD -12.00, 95% CrI -15.00, -10.00), conventional acupuncture plus wheat-grain moxibustion (MD -9.70, 95% CrI -14.00, -5.30), and the Chinese traditional peripateticism pill plus group counseling (MD -9.00, 95% CrI -11.00, -6.70) had better efficacy than the control group (CG) in improving CES-D. For BDI outcome, bright light therapy (MD -9.70, 95% CrI -13.00, -6.00), behavioral activation program (MD -5.70, 95% CrI -6.10, -5.40), and dim light therapy (MD -6.30, 95% CrI -10.00, -2.20) were better than the CG. Tai chi (MD -3.00, 95% CrI -4.00, -2.00) was better than CG for PHQ-9 outcomes. Telephone-based cognitive behavioral treatment (MD -2.50 95% CrI -2.70, -2.30) was better than the CG for K-6 scores. Conclusion: Our results suggest that electroacupuncture or bright light therapy appear to be the better choices in the treatment of SD. This study provide new insights into clinical treatment selection and may aid the development of guidelines for the management of SD.

Microbial Profiles of Patients With Antipsychotic-Related Constipation Treated With Electroacupuncture.

Antipsychotic-related constipation (APRC) is one of the most common side effects of taking antipsychotic medication. APRC can seriously impact patient quality of life and is potentially fatal, though the efficacy of current APRC treatments is low for most patients. In this study, we conducted a controlled, pilot randomized, sham-electroacupuncture (SEA) study to assess the efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) in patients with APRC. We used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to assess the microbial profiles of these patients and analyze how EA treatments affected their bacteria. Methods: We treated 133 APRC patients with randomly assigned EA treatments or SEA treatments for 4 consecutive weeks, fully evaluating the patients 8 weeks after treatment. The participants, outcome assessors, and statistics were all blind to the EA and SEA treatments. Outcomes assessed included changes in spontaneous bowel movements (SBMs) and the frequency of rescue measures. We detected assessed the microbial diversity of stool specimens both before and after EA treatment using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Results: Both EA and SEA treatments reduced the need for constipation rescue measures and did not have serious side effects. EA treatments were better than SEA treatments at increasing SBMs and reducing rescue measures. The diversity of gut microbiota changed after EA treatment. LEfSe analysis indicated changes in the genus (belonging to phylum Proteobacteria) of gut microbiota in patients following EA treatment. Conclusions: This study found that EA treatment is effective and safe for patients with APRC, and could be associated with changes in their microbial profiles. Further study, with larger sample sizes, is needed to explore the efficacy of EA intervention as a clinical treatment for APRC. Trial Registration: ChiCTR, ChiCTR-ONC-17010842, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=18420.

Early Life Stress Induces Different Behaviors in Adolescence and Adulthood May Related With Abnormal Medial Prefrontal Cortex Excitation/Inhibition Balance.

Early life stress is thought to be a risk factor for emotional disorders, particularly depression and anxiety. Although the excitation/inhibition (E/I) imbalance has been implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders, whether early life stress affects the E/I balance in the medial prefrontal cortex at various developmental stages is unclear. In this study, rats exposed to maternal separation (MS) that exhibited a well-established early life stress paradigm were used to evaluate the E/I balance in adolescence (postnatal day P43-60) and adulthood (P82-100) by behavior tests, whole-cell recordings, and microdialysis coupled with high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) analysis. First, the behavioral tests revealed that MS induced both anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors in adolescent rats but only depressive-like behavior in adult rats. Second, MS increased the action potential frequency and E/I balance of synaptic transmission onto L5 pyramidal neurons in the prelimbic (PrL) brain region of adolescent rats while decreasing the action potential frequency and E/I balance in adult rats. Finally, MS increases extracellular glutamate levels and decreased the paired-pulse ratio of evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) of pyramidal neurons in the PrL of adolescent rats. In contrast, MS decreased extracellular glutamate levels and increased the paired-pulse ratio of evoked EPSCs of pyramidal neurons in the PrL of adult rats. The present results reveal a key role of E/I balance in different MS-induced disorders may related to the altered probability of presynaptic glutamate release at different developmental stages.

Modulating microglia activation prevents maternal immune activation induced schizophrenia-relevant behavior phenotypes via arginase 1 in the dentate gyrus.

Prenatal infection during pregnancy increases the risk for developing neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. This is linked to an inflammatory microglial phenotype in the offspring induced by maternal immune activation (MIA). Microglia are crucial for brain development and maintenance of neuronal niches, however, whether and how their activation is involved in the regulation of neurodevelopment remains unclear. Here, we used a MIA rodent model in which polyinosinic: polycytidylic acid (poly (I:C)) was injected into pregnant mice. We found fewer parvalbumin positive (PV+) cells and impaired GABAergic transmission in the dentate gyrus (DG), accompanied by schizophrenia-like behavior in the adult offspring. Minocycline, a potent inhibitor of microglia activation, successfully prevented the above-mentioned deficits in the offspring. Furthermore, by using microglia-specific arginase 1 (Arg1) ablation as well as overexpression in DG, we identified a critical role of Arg1 in microglia activation to protect against poly (I:C) imparted neuropathology and altered behavior in offspring. Taken together, our results highlight that Arg1-mediated alternative activation of microglia are potential therapeutic targets for psychiatric disorders induced by MIA.

Comparative Study of ROCK1 and ROCK2 in Hippocampal Spine Formation and Synaptic Function.

Rho-associated kinases (ROCKs) are serine-threonine protein kinases that act downstream of small Rho GTPases to regulate the dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton. Two ROCK isoforms (ROCK1 and ROCK2) are expressed in the mammalian central nervous system. Although ROCK activity has been implicated in synapse formation, whether the distinct ROCK isoforms have different roles in synapse formation and function in vivo is not clear. Here, we used a genetic approach to address this long-standing question. Both Rock1+/- and Rock2+/- mice had impaired glutamatergic transmission, reduced spine density, and fewer excitatory synapses in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. In addition, both Rock1+/- and Rock2+/- mice showed deficits in long-term potentiation at hippocampal CA1 synapses and were impaired in spatial learning and memory based on the water maze and contextual fear conditioning tests. However, the spine morphology of CA1 pyramidal neurons was altered only in Rock2+/- but not Rock1+/- mice. In this study we compared the roles of ROCK1 and ROCK2 in synapse formation and function in vivo for the first time. Our results provide a better understanding of the functions of distinct ROCK isoforms in synapse formation and function.