BNSTGABA neurons regulate autophagy to alleviate depression with gastric dysfunction symptoms
Gastric dysfunction is very common in depressed patients, and the coupling mechanism between the brain and the stomach is a key point in its occurrence. Electroacupuncture (EA) can act on both ‘form’ (i.e., the physical level) and ‘spirit’ (i.e., the mental-emotional level) in the treatment of negat...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Brain Research Bulletin |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361923025001728 |
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| author | Yi Yuan Jiangang Xu Shanlan Zhu Hongkun Ma Hao Wang Xiyang Wang Guoming Shen |
| author_facet | Yi Yuan Jiangang Xu Shanlan Zhu Hongkun Ma Hao Wang Xiyang Wang Guoming Shen |
| author_sort | Yi Yuan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Gastric dysfunction is very common in depressed patients, and the coupling mechanism between the brain and the stomach is a key point in its occurrence. Electroacupuncture (EA) can act on both ‘form’ (i.e., the physical level) and ‘spirit’ (i.e., the mental-emotional level) in the treatment of negative emotions and gastrointestinal co-morbidities, realising the therapeutic effect of‘form-spirit co-medication’. The neurological mechanism is not clear.We developed a chronic unpredictable stress (CUMS) model, and gastric electrophysiological and behavioural results suggest that EA can alleviate depressive symptoms and improve gastric dysfunction accompanying depression. We found that the CUMS model inhibits GABAergic neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), whereas BNSTGABA neurons are de-suppressed after EA intervention. Chemical activation of BNSTGABA neurons eliminated CUMS-induced depressive symptoms and gastric dysfunction with effects similar to EA treatment. In addition, transcriptomics data showed that excessive autophagy was present in the gastric tissues of CUMS model mice, which was alleviated by EA, and it was verified by Western Blot that EA may ameliorate depression-induced gastric dysfunction by modulating BNSTGABA neurons, which effectively inhibited excessive autophagy in the cells of gastric tissues. Thus, our study describes a neural mechanism that regulates autophagy in gastric cells via BNSTGABA neurons, thereby alleviating gastric dysfunction in depression, and provides a theoretical basis for electroacupuncture in the treatment of mood disorders with comorbid somatic symptoms. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b0356f8eae7a46baa8372a8228fff3c3 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1873-2747 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Research Bulletin |
| spelling | doaj-art-b0356f8eae7a46baa8372a8228fff3c32025-08-20T01:55:21ZengElsevierBrain Research Bulletin1873-27472025-06-0122611136010.1016/j.brainresbull.2025.111360BNSTGABA neurons regulate autophagy to alleviate depression with gastric dysfunction symptomsYi Yuan0Jiangang Xu1Shanlan Zhu2Hongkun Ma3Hao Wang4Xiyang Wang5Guoming Shen6School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, ChinaSchool of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, ChinaSchool of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, China; Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Scicence Center, Hefei, Anhui, ChinaCollege of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, ChinaSchool of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, ChinaSchool of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, China; Corresponding author.School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, China; Institute of Health and Medicine, Hefei Comprehensive National Scicence Center, Hefei, Anhui, China; Corresponding author at: School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, Anhui, China.Gastric dysfunction is very common in depressed patients, and the coupling mechanism between the brain and the stomach is a key point in its occurrence. Electroacupuncture (EA) can act on both ‘form’ (i.e., the physical level) and ‘spirit’ (i.e., the mental-emotional level) in the treatment of negative emotions and gastrointestinal co-morbidities, realising the therapeutic effect of‘form-spirit co-medication’. The neurological mechanism is not clear.We developed a chronic unpredictable stress (CUMS) model, and gastric electrophysiological and behavioural results suggest that EA can alleviate depressive symptoms and improve gastric dysfunction accompanying depression. We found that the CUMS model inhibits GABAergic neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), whereas BNSTGABA neurons are de-suppressed after EA intervention. Chemical activation of BNSTGABA neurons eliminated CUMS-induced depressive symptoms and gastric dysfunction with effects similar to EA treatment. In addition, transcriptomics data showed that excessive autophagy was present in the gastric tissues of CUMS model mice, which was alleviated by EA, and it was verified by Western Blot that EA may ameliorate depression-induced gastric dysfunction by modulating BNSTGABA neurons, which effectively inhibited excessive autophagy in the cells of gastric tissues. Thus, our study describes a neural mechanism that regulates autophagy in gastric cells via BNSTGABA neurons, thereby alleviating gastric dysfunction in depression, and provides a theoretical basis for electroacupuncture in the treatment of mood disorders with comorbid somatic symptoms.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361923025001728CUMSBNSTGastric dysfunctionAcupunctureAutophagy |
| spellingShingle | Yi Yuan Jiangang Xu Shanlan Zhu Hongkun Ma Hao Wang Xiyang Wang Guoming Shen BNSTGABA neurons regulate autophagy to alleviate depression with gastric dysfunction symptoms Brain Research Bulletin CUMS BNST Gastric dysfunction Acupuncture Autophagy |
| title | BNSTGABA neurons regulate autophagy to alleviate depression with gastric dysfunction symptoms |
| title_full | BNSTGABA neurons regulate autophagy to alleviate depression with gastric dysfunction symptoms |
| title_fullStr | BNSTGABA neurons regulate autophagy to alleviate depression with gastric dysfunction symptoms |
| title_full_unstemmed | BNSTGABA neurons regulate autophagy to alleviate depression with gastric dysfunction symptoms |
| title_short | BNSTGABA neurons regulate autophagy to alleviate depression with gastric dysfunction symptoms |
| title_sort | bnstgaba neurons regulate autophagy to alleviate depression with gastric dysfunction symptoms |
| topic | CUMS BNST Gastric dysfunction Acupuncture Autophagy |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361923025001728 |
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