Effects of electroacupuncture on the behaviors and expressions of hippocampal neurotransmitters and Bax/Bcl-2 proteins in rat models of anxiety disorder

To investigate the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on the behaviors of rat with anxiety disorder, and the expressions of hippocampal neurotransmitters including 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA), and the expressions of hippocampal B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2 associated X (Bax). Forty-six male Wistar rats were randomly divIDed into a control group (n=10), a model group (n=12), an EA group (n=12), and a drug group (n=12). Except the control group, the other three groups were established into rat models of anxiety disorder using uncertain empty bottle stimulation. Rats in the EA group and the drug group received corresponding interventions for 15 consecutive days [EA group was given EA at Baihui (GV 20) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6); the drug group was given aqueous solution of alprazolam via intragastric administration]. After intervention, all four groups received open-field test (OFT) and elevated plus-maze (EPM) for behavioral evaluations. The expressions of 5-HT, NE and DA in hippocampus were determined by fluorescence spectroscopy (FS) while the expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins in hippocampus were determined by Western blot (WB). The OFT horizontal scores in the control group, EA group and drug group were significantly higher than that in the model group (all P 0.05); the OFT vertical scores in the model group, EA group and drug group were significantly lower than the score in the control group (all P 0.05); though the percent of open-arm total time (OT%) in the EA group was lower than that in the control group (P 0.05), and it was significantly higher than that in the model group (P 0.05). The expression of NE in the model group was significantly higher than that in the other three groups (P 0.05). The expression of DA in the EA group was significantly higher than that in the control group and the drug group (both P 0.05). The expression of Bax in the model group was significantly higher than that in the other three groups (all P 0.05). Bax/Bcl-2 in the EA group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P 0.05). EA shows promising effects in attenuating rats' anxiety disorder, which may be achieved by the downregulation of the expressions of 5-HT and NE in the hippocampus and/or inhibition of hippocampal neuronal apoptosis. The efficacy is comparable to that of intervention with alprazolam.