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To investigate the effect of acupuncture on behavior changes and the expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS), cytochrome C, cysteine-containing aspartate-specific proteases-3 (caspase-3), apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) in the hippocampus of rats exposed to chronic restraint stress (CRS), so as to provide experimental evidence for the prevention and treatment of depression.Thirty two male SD rats were equally randomized into control, model, acupuncture and medication (Fluoxetine) groups according to the random number table. The depression model was established by chronic psychological stress stimulation (fasting, water deprivation, chronic restraint combined with solitary raising for 28 days). Manual acupuncture stimulation (2 circles/s) was applied to "Baihui" (GV20), "Yintang" (GV29) and bilateral "Sanyinjiao" (SP6) for 2 min, followed by retaining the needles for 20 min. Rats in the medication group were treated by gavage of Fluoxetine (0.18 mg/mL, 1 mL/100 g body weight). The treatment was conducted once daily for 28 days. The depression-like behavior was evaluated by using open-field test, sucrose preference test, and body weight. The content of ROS of the right hippocampus tissue was detected by using dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) assay, and the expression levels of cytochrome C, caspase-3 and AIF proteins of hippocampus were determined by using Western blot.After 28 days' stress procedure, the depression rats in the model group showed a significant decrease in the numbers of crossing and rearing of open-field test, sucrose preference index and the body weight compared to the control group (Acupuncture intervention can significantly reduce ROS content and expression level of cytochrome C, caspase-3 and AIF proteins in the hippocampus possibly by inhibiting the chronic psychological stress-hippocampal oxidative stress-mitochondrial apoptotic pathway in psychological stress-induced depression rats, which may contribute to its effect in relieving depression.

To investigate the effect of acupuncture intervention on the depression behavior and expression of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases (ERK 1/2), p-ERK 1/2 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the prefrontal cortex of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) induced depression rats, so as to explore its antidepressant mechanism.Sixty-four male SD rats were randomly divided into control, model, acupuncture, Fluoxetine, model ＋ Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), model ＋ PD 98059(an ERK pathway inhibitor), acupuncture ＋ PD 98059 and Fluoxetine ＋ PD 98059 groups (Compared with the control group, the sucrose consumption and the expression levels of p-ERK 1/2 and BDNF protein in the prefrontal cortex were significantly reduced in the model and model＋DMSO group (Acupuncture intervention has an anti-depressive role in CUMS induced depression rats, which may be related to its effects in up-regulating the expression of p-ERK 1/2 and BDNF in the prefrontal cortex tissue.