Electroacupuncture prevents astrocyte atrophy to alleviate depression

Si-Si Lin, Bin Zhou, Bin-Jie Chen, Ruo-Tian Jiang, Baoman Li, Peter Illes, Alexey Semyanov, Yong Tang, Alexei Verkhratsky

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Astrocyte atrophy is the main histopathological hallmark of 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 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 swimming 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 by a decrease in the 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.

Original languageEnglish
Article number343
JournalCELL DEATH & DISEASE
Volume14
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 29 May 2023

Keywords

  • Animals
  • Antidepressive Agents/metabolism
  • Astrocytes/metabolism
  • Atrophy/drug therapy
  • Depression/therapy
  • Depressive Disorder, Major/drug therapy
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Electroacupuncture
  • Hippocampus/metabolism
  • Humans
  • Mice

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