Improvement Effect of Electroacupuncture on Depressive-like Behaviors in Mice and Its Influence on Microglial Activation and Synaptic Injury Alleviation

SU Zhibin; HUANG Zhiyuan; ZHU Chuan'an

doi:10.16458/j.cnki.1007-0893.2025.14.001

Abstract：Objective To explore the improvement effect of electroacupuncture on depressive-like behaviors in mice and its influence on microglial activation and synaptic injury alleviation.Methods Sixty-eight male C57BL/6J mice were selected as the research subjects and randomly divided into a control group,model group,electroacupuncture group,and fluoxetine group,with 17 mice in each group.The model group,electroacupuncture group,and fluoxetine group mice were subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS)to establish a mouse model of depression.The electroacupuncture group mice were treated with electroacupuncture,and the fluoxetine group mice were treated with fluoxetine gavage.Depressive-like behaviors were evaluated by forced swimming test,tail suspension test,and sucrose preference test.The number of ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule1(Iba1)positive cells was detected by immunofluorescence.The density of dendritic spines and the frequency and amplitude of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents(mEPSC)were observed morphologically and detected electrophysiologically.Results The immobility time in the forced swimming and tail suspension tests of the model group mice were longer than those of the control group,the sucrose preference rate was lower than that of the control group,the number of Iba1 positive cells was more than that of the control group,and the density of dendritic spines and the frequency and amplitude of mEPSC were lower than those of the control group,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).The immobility time in the forced swimming and tail suspension tests of the electroacupuncture group and fluoxetine group mice were shorter those that of the model group,the sucrose preference rate was higher than that of the model group,the number of Iba1 positive cells was less than that of the model group,and the density of dendritic spines and the frequency and amplitude of mEPSC were higher than those of the model group,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05).Conclusion Electroacupuncture can improve depressive-like behaviors in mice by inhibiting excessive microglial activation and alleviating synaptic structural(dendritic spine density)and functional(mEPSC frequency and amplitude)damage.