Electroacupuncture alleviates depression and gastrointestinal dysfunction by rebalancing GABAergic activity in the central amygdala

Figure 1 Electroacupuncture alleviates depression-like behavior in chronic unpredictable mild stress mice. A: Experimental timeline outlining chronic unpredictable mild stress induction, electroacupuncture, and behavioral assays; B: Representative open-field locomotion heatmap; C-E: Open-field metrics: Distance traveled in the central zone (C), central-zone dwell time (D), and number of central-zone entries (E); F: Representative elevated plus maze heatmap; G and H: Quantification of number of entries in open-arm and percentage of time spent in open arms; I: Sucrose preference test results; J: Schematic of the forced swim test; K: Quantification of immobility duration in the forced swim test; L: Schematic of the tail suspension test; M: Quantification of immobility duration in the tail suspension test. Data are mean ± SE; statistics by one-way analysis of variance; n = 10 mice in each group. ^bP < 0.01, ^cP < 0.001. CUMS: Chronic unpredictable mild stress; EA: Electroacupuncture.