Evidence Details for Htr1a
PMID Title Journal Year Abstract
29601832 Antidepressant effects of acupoint stimulation and fluoxetine by increasing dendritic arborization and spine density in CA1 hippocampal neurons of socially isolated rats. Neurosci Lett. 2018 May 14;675:48-53. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.03.057. Epub 2018 Mar 27. 2018 May 14 Given the importance of depression and the adverse effects of conventional treatment, it is necessary to seek complementary therapies. In a rat model of depression, this study aimed to assess the behavioral and morphological effects of embedding absorbable thread in acupoints (acu-catgut), and compare the results to those of fluoxetine treatment and the corresponding control groups. Therefore, depressive-like behavior was evaluated with the forced swimming test, and dendritic morphology (in the CA1 hippocampal region) with the Golgi-Cox technique and Sholl analysis. After weaning, male Sprague-Dawley rats were housed in social isolation for 8 weeks to induce depressive-like behavior. They were then given a 21-day treatment by stimulating acupoints with acu-catgut (AC) or fluoxetine (FX) (2鈥痬g/kg). Rats were divided into six groups: Control (socially housed), social isolation (SI), SI鈥?鈥疉C, SI鈥?鈥疭ham (sham embedding of thread), SI鈥?鈥疐X and SI鈥?鈥疺H (vehicle). Compared to fluoxetine, acu-catgut treatment was more effective in reversing depressive-like behavior elicited by SI. The SI-induced reduction in dendritic length and spine density in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons was attenuated after prolonged treatment with acu-catgut or fluoxetine. Hence, both treatments proved capable of reversing depressive-like alterations caused by SI, likely due to dendritic remodeling in the hippocampus."

Evidence Sentence: Since the somas of noradrenergic and dopaminergic neurons are known to have 5HT receptors, the acupuncture procedure herein employed may in the long run modulate the serotonergic system and consequently restore the normal function of other systems that, when altered, are involved in a depressive disorder.
Evidence Sentence: The CA1 region receives serotonergic projections from DRN [38] and 5HT modulates hippocampal plasticity.
Evidence Sentence: 5HT1A activation increases the expression of postsynaptic density protein 95, as well as the formation of synapses and dendritic spines.