LI Wenjing,ZHU Zhou,WU Xuefen.Effect of acupuncture on astrocyte⁃associated markers in insomnia⁃induced rats[J].Shanghai Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine,2025,59(9):9-14.
LI Wenjing,ZHU Zhou,WU Xuefen.Effect of acupuncture on astrocyte⁃associated markers in insomnia⁃induced rats[J].Shanghai Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine,2025,59(9):9-14. DOI: 10.16305/j.1007-1334.2025.z20250306007.
Effect of acupuncture on astrocyte⁃associated markers in insomnia⁃induced rats
To observe the effect of acupuncture on astrocyte-associated markers in the basal forebrain of insomnia-model rats and explore its therapeutic mechanism in improving insomnia.
Methods
2
Sixty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five experimental groups: blank control (BC), model (M), sham acupuncture (SA), acupuncture (A), and Western medication (WM). Insomnia was induced via intraperitoneal injection of p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA). Interventions were administered accordingly. Sleep duration and latency were assessed using a pentobarbital sodium-induced righting reflex test. Plasma levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), S100 calcium-binding protein B (S100B), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and hippocampal glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). GFAP and S100B protein expression in the basal forebrain was examined using immunohistochemical analysis.
Results
2
① Post-modeling, M group rats exhibited significantly prolonged sleep latency and shortened sleep duration compared with the BC group (
0.01). ② Plasma GFAP and S100B levels, as well as basal forebrain GFAP
+
, S100B
+
expression, were significantly elevated in M and SA groups compared with BC (
P
<
0.01), while plasma BDNF and hippocampal GDNF levels were decreased (
P
<
0.05 or
P
<
0.01). Conversely, A and WM groups showed reduced plasma GFAP, S100B and basal forebrain GFAP
+
, S100B
+
expression (
P
<
0.05 or
P
<
0.01), and increased plasma BDNF, hippocampal GDNF levels compared with the M group (
P
<
0.05 or
P
<
0.01).
Conclusions
2
Acupuncture improves sleep by shortening latency and extending duration. This effect may be mediated through modulating the expression of astrocyte-associated markers (GFAP, S100B, BDNF, GDNF) in the basal forebrain of PCPA-induced insomnia rats.
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