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Acupuncture alters pro-inflammatory cytokines in the plasma of maternally separated rat pups

  • Acupuncture Research
  • Published:
Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To investigate the potential alleviating effects of acupuncture on maternal separation (MS)-induced changes in plasma pro-inflammatory cytokine levels of rat pups.

Methods

On postnatal day 15, rat pups were randomly assigned to 4 groups (n=6 per group) using a random number table: normal, MS, MS with acupuncture stimulation at Shenmen (HT 7) acupoint (MS+HT 7), and MS with acupuncture stimulation at Chengshan (BL 57) acupoint (MS+BL 57) groups. Rat pups in the normal group were housed with their mothers under standard conditions; those in the MS, MS+HT 7 and MS+BL 57 groups were maternally separated and individually maintained. Acupuncture stimulation was performed at HT 7 or BL 57 acupoints once a day for 7 consecutive days. A tail suspension test was performed to measure immobility time of rats and the plasma was collected on postnatal day 21, then levels of corticosterone (CORT), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in plasma were measured.

Results

Compared with the normal group, the immobility time and the plasma levels of CORT, IL-1β, IL-6 and GDNF in the MS group were significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with the MS group, the immobility time and the plasma levels of CORT, IL-1β, IL-6 and GDNF were significantly reduced in the MS+HT 7 group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Moreover, the immobility time and plasma levels of IL-1β and IL-6 in the MS+HT 7 group were significantly lower than those in the MS+BL 57 group (P<0.05).

Conclusion

Acupuncture stimulation at HT 7 can alleviate the behavioral impairment and changes of the cytokines by MS, indicating that acupuncture can help to relieve MS-induced depression.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Meridian and Structural Medicine, School of Korean Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, 50612, Republic of Korea

    Dongsoo Kim, Chang-Hwan Bae, Ye Lee Jun, Hyongjun Jeon, Sungtae Koo & Seungtae Kim

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  1. Dongsoo Kim
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  2. Chang-Hwan Bae
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  3. Ye Lee Jun
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  4. Hyongjun Jeon
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  5. Sungtae Koo
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  6. Seungtae Kim
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seungtae Kim.

Additional information

Supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIP) (No. NRF- 2014R1A5A2009936)

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Kim, D., Bae, CH., Jun, Y.L. et al. Acupuncture alters pro-inflammatory cytokines in the plasma of maternally separated rat pups. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 23, 943–947 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-017-2827-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-017-2827-8

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