The Research On Treating Depression With Acupuncture

The purpose on this study is to reveal the mechanism of treating depression with acupuncture and to explore the physiopathologic mechanism of depression. Firstly, The origin of depression was probed in theory; the cause and mechanism of depression were probed further based on Chinese and West medicine, in order to afford theoretical base on treating depression with "Tiao Shen shu gan" acupuncture method.Secondarily, The clinical research and experiments were carried out by using psychological assessment, blood rheology, electrocardiography, high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLG), radio immunoassay(RIA) and in situ hybridization histochemistry(ISHH) technique. while examining the changes of scores in self depression scale(SDS) and self anxiety scale(SAS), blood rheology, and heart rate variability(HRV) of the depression patients, observing the behavior, the changes of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical axis, the contents of interleukin-1β,interleukin-2,interleukin-6, the condition of hippocampus cells, the expression level of MRmRNA,GRmRNA,BDNFmRNA and MRmRNA/GRmRNA in hippocampus area of rats with restraint stress. The intervening effects of acupuncture on them were studied and the curative effects with different acupuncture therapy methods were compared.The main results are as follows:1.The effect of treating depression with acupuncture was good. The curative effect of the experimental group using "Tiao Shen Shu Gan" acupuncture method was superior to that of control group.2.The depressive and anxious scores in patients of depression were higher than normality. The emotional character of cases with depression was depressive mostly. Acupuncture could reduce the depressive andanxious scores, Compared with control group of acupuncture, the curative effect of the experimental group of acupuncture was superior to that of control group.3.The index of blood rheology in cases of depression raised in different degree; The index of time domain measures of HRV were all reduced ,LF of frequency domain measures raised, HF of which reduced, LF/HF raised; Acupuncture could improve the index of blood rheology, reduce LF, raise HF, make LF/HF normal. Compared with control group of acupuncture, the curative effect of the experimental group of acupuncture was superior to that of control group.4.Chronicle immobilization stress could lead to depressive condition in experimental rats. Acupuncture could improve this condition.5.The contents of serotonin(5-HT)﹑dopamine(DA) of depressive rats by immobilized stress ascent,that of norepinephrine(NE) lowered, The contents of adrenocor ticotrophic hormone(ACTH) and 皮质酮(CORT) raised; Acupuncture could lower 5-HT﹑ DA, increase NE, adjust balance between monoamine neurotransmitters in hypothalamus; lower the contents of ACTH and CORT, inhibit hyper function of HPA axis.6.The contents of interleukin－1βand interleukin－6 of immobilized rats raised, that of interleukin－2 reduced, Acupuncture could regulate their contents.7.The cells in CA3 area of depressive rats by chronicle immobilized stress in hippocampus tend to withering, Acupuncture could improve this condition. The expression of concerned genes in hippocampus (MRmRNA﹑GRmRNA﹑BDNFmRNA) descent obviously, Acupuncture could increase genes expression of MR﹑GR﹑BDNF; regulate the balance of MRmRNA/GRmRNA.Conclusions1.Acupuncture could improve clinical symptoms , depressive﹑anxious condition and HRV, lower viscosity and stagnation of blood of patients with depression . regulate the balance of vegetative nerve , inhibit hyper function of sympathetic- adrenal gland axis.2.Acupuncture could improve abnormal behavior of depressive rats by chronicle immobilized stress,regulate balance of monoamine neurotransmitters in hypothalamus, Inhibit hyper function of HPA axis in depressive condition.3.Acupuncture could correct abnormal contents of IL-1β﹑IL-2﹑IL-6 in depressive rats by chronicle immobilized stress, regulate disorder of immune function in depressive conditi...