已发表论文

针刺对胶质细胞及其相互作用的调控在抗抑郁作用中的研究进展综述

 

Authors Cao J , Yang L, Ding D, Zhang X, Ding N, Ding F, Bian Q, Chen J

Received 14 November 2025

Accepted for publication 25 January 2026

Published 11 February 2026 Volume 2026:19 581593

DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S581593

Checked for plagiarism Yes

Review by Single anonymous peer review

Peer reviewer comments 2

Editor who approved publication: Professor Tilakavati Karupaiah

Jing Cao,1,2,* Lian Yang,3,4,* Deguang Ding,2 Xiaolei Zhang,2 Nana Ding,3 Fengmin Ding,1 Qinglai Bian,1 Jiaxu Chen1,3,5 

1School of Basic Medicine, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, People’s Republic of China; 2Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, Hubei, 430065, People’s Republic of China; 3Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Formula-Pattern of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510000, People’s Republic of China; 4Affiliated Hospital of Xiangnan University, Chenzhou, Hunan, 423000, People’s Republic of China; 5School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100029, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Qinglai Bian, Email 756402872@qq.com Jiaxu Chen, Email chenjiaxu@hotmail.com

Abstract: The clinical management of depression presents significant challenges. While acupuncture has shown efficacy in alleviating depressive symptoms, the underlying mechanisms through which it exerts its antidepressant effects remain incompletely understood. Recent research has underscored the crucial role of glial cells in the pathophysiology of depression. This discovery opens a novel and promising avenue for investigating the mechanisms underlying acupuncture’s antidepressant actions. Based on clinical evidence supporting the use of acupuncture in treating depression, this article reviews recent studies on how acupuncture influences the glial cell network. This is the first review of studies examining the effects of acupuncture on glial cells in depression. The review encompasses several key aspects, including microglial polarization and associated inflammatory signaling pathways, the role of astrocytes in maintaining metabolic homeostasis, the processes of oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelin repair, as well as the intricate interactions among these three types of glial cells. However, this paper also has certain limitations, such as the majority of mechanistic evidence deriving from animal models, and due to the heterogeneity of acupuncture protocols and the lack of human causal data.

Keywords: acupuncture, depression, microglia, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes