Electroacupuncture prevents astrocyte atrophy to alleviate depression

Author:

Lin SiSi1,Zhou Bin2,Chen BinjieORCID,JIANG Ruotian3ORCID,Li Baoman4,Illes Peter5,Semyanov Alexey6ORCID,Tang Yong1ORCID,Verkhratsky Alexei7ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine

2. Sichuan University

3. West china hospital of Sichuan University

4. China Medical University

5. Universitaet Leipzig

6. Jiaxing University College of Medicine

7. The University of Manchester

Abstract

AbstractAstrocyte atrophy is the main histopathological hallmark of the major depressive disorder (MDD) in humans and in animal models of depression. Here we show that electroacupuncture prevents astrocyte atrophy in the prefrontal cortex and alleviates depressive-like behaviour in mice subjected to the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Treatment of mice with CUMS induced depressive-like phenotypes as confirmed by sucrose preference test, tail suspension test, and forced swim test. These behavioural changes were paralleled with morphological atrophy of astrocytes in the prefrontal cortex, revealed by analysis of 3D reconstructions of confocal Z-stack images of mCherry expressing astrocytes. This morphological atrophy was accompanied with a decrease in expression of cytoskeletal linker Ezrin, associated with formation of astrocytic leaflets, which form astroglial synaptic cradle. Electroacupuncture at the acupoint ST36 as well as treatment with anti-depressant fluoxetine prevented depressive-like behaviours, astrocytic atrophy and down-regulation of astrocytic ezrin. In conclusion, our data further strengthen the notion of a primary role of astrocytic atrophy in depression and reveal astrocytes as cellular target for electroacupuncture in treatment of depressive disorders.

Publisher

Research Square Platform LLC

Reference84 articles.

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