Electroacupuncture attenuates anxiety caused by chronic mild stress through inhibiting NOX2-derived oxidative stress in ventral hippocampus

作者：Tong Yin, Yinxin Wang, Chuanan Zhu, Yuanfang Lin, Weilin Wang, Jianpeng Huang, Kangwen Ming, Hang Lv · 发表于：Neurobiology of Stress · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.ynstr.2025.100768 · 被引用次数：2 · 研究领域：Acupuncture Treatment Research Studies、Tryptophan and brain disorders、Pain Mechanisms and Treatments

Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent and often triggered or worsened by chronic stress, yet current pharmacological treatments have limitations. Electroacupuncture (EA), a modern adaptation of traditional acupuncture, has shown promise as an alternative therapy for anxiety, though its mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we investigated whether EA can alleviate anxiety-like behaviors induced by chronic mild stress (CMS) in mice, focusing on the role of NOX2-mediated oxidative stress and synaptic function in the ventral hippocampus. CMS exposure led to increased anxiety-like behavior, enhanced excitatory synaptic transmission, and elevated oxidative stress specifically in the ventral CA1 (vCA1) region. EA treatment was associated with normalization of excitatory/inhibitory synaptic balance and reduction in oxidative stress markers and NOX2 expression. Furthermore, overexpression of NOX2 in vCA1 induced anxiety-like behaviors, which EA partially ameliorated. These findings suggest that EA's anxiolytic effects may involve NOX2-related oxidative stress pathways and hippocampal excitability modulation, providing mechanistic insights that warrant further investigation for potential therapeutic applications (Graphical Abstract).