Therapeutic Duration and Extent Affect the Effect of Moxibustion on Depression-Like Behaviour in Rats via Regulating the Brain Tryptophan Transport and Metabolism.

Hao Li,Xiaoquan Liu,Xing Xia,Jiawei Xiong,Xiaofei Hou,Mingyue Wang,Ruirui Zhao,Jianbin Zhang,Lan Sang,Tiemin Cao

doi:10.1155/2019/7592124

Abstract

Moxibustion has been widely accepted as an alternative therapy for major depressive disease (MDD). However, the efficacy of moxibustion treatment on MDD is highly variable because of its irregular operation. This study was designed to investigate how therapeutic duration and extent influence the anti-depression effect of moxibustion and the underlying mechanism involved. Rats with lipopolysaccharide-induced depression-like behavior were treated by moxibustion treatment. The anti-depression effect was determined by forced swimming test and open field test. Tryptophan (Trp) transport and its metabolism to serotonin (5-HT) and kynurenine (Kyn) were evaluated to explore the anti-depression mechanism. The results showed that moxibustion treatment could alleviate the depression-like behavior in rats. Trp transport and 5-HT generation were significantly increased, and the Trp-Kyn pathway was moderately inhibited by moxibustion. Prolonged therapy could be beneficial to the anti-depression effect by promoting the brain uptake of Trp and shifting the Trp metabolism to 5-HT. An enhanced therapeutic extent could increase 5-HT generation. In conclusion, this study determined that the anti-depression effect of moxibustion involves improved Trp transport and metabolism. The therapeutic duration benefits antidepressant effects, but the complex influence of the therapeutic extent on moxibustion efficacy requires further studies.

Highlights

Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine that uses an ignited moxa giving off heat at an acupoint on the body surface
Moxibustion treatment significantly reduced the immobility time compared with the case of the model group (F[5, 24] = 3.675, P < 0.05), suggesting that the lowered mood and hopelessness could be improved by moxibustion treatment
Despite the lack of a significant difference, the travelling distance showed a declining trend with the prolonged treatment duration. These results implied that the efficacy of moxibustion in sickness is highly related to therapeutic extent rather than to duration

Summary

Introduction

Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine that uses an ignited moxa giving off heat at an acupoint on the body surface. Several studies showed the efficacy of moxibustion combined with other antidepressants [1,2,3]. The combination of moxibustion, acupuncture, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) demonstrated superior efficacy on major depressive disorder (MDD) patients compared with sham acupuncture–SSRI therapy [4]. Empirically designed moxibustion strategies make the efficacy of moxibustion on MDD highly variable. The efficacy of moxibustion is influenced by multiple factors in moxibustion treatment, such as therapeutic duration, extent, and frequency. To achieve optimal and stable efficacy, understanding the underlying mechanism involved and how these factors affect the efficacy of moxibustion treatment on MDD is needed [5]

Results

Discussion

Conclusion