Effects of Tongyuan acupuncture combined with salt and moxibustion Shenque on behavior and hypotha-lamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in postpartum depression rats / 实用医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the effects of Tongyuan acupuncture combined with herbal medicine and moxibustion on the behavior and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis-related hormone levels in postpartum de-pression rats.To explore the therapeutic mechanism of this method in the treatment of postpartum depression.Meth-ods A total of 120 SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups(n=20).The blank group was not treated.The sham operation group was performed without surgery to remove the ovaries. The model group,drug group,routine acupuncture group and experimental group were established in the model of postpartum depression.After modeling successfully,the model group did not interfere with any treatment. The rats in treatment group were treated with fluoxetine hydrochloride. The acupuncture group was treated with acupuncture of Baihui and Taichong. The rats in the experimental group were treated with the method of acupuncture and moxibustion.At the end of the second and fourth week after the initiation of intervention,10 rats were randomly selected from each group.They were sacrificed and the levels of serum corticotropin-releasing hormone(CRH),adrenocorticotropic hormone(ACTH),cortisol (Cor)were measured.Results The levels of CRH,ACTH and Cor in the model group were higher than those in the blank group(P<0.05).The levels of serum CRH,ACTH and Cor in the drug group,routine acupuncture group and experimental group were lower than those in the model group(P<0.05).The levels of serum ACTH and Cor in the experimental group were lower than those in the drug group and routine acupuncture group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in serum CRH,ACTH and Cor level between the experimental group and blank group(P >0.05).Conclusions Tongyuan acupuncture combined with salt moxibustion and Shenque have significant effects on the depressive symptoms and serum levels of CRH,ACTH and Cor in postpartum depression rats,which may be re-lated to the regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis-related hormone levels.