Electroacupuncture ameliorates Autism Spectrum Disorder via modulating the gut-brain axis depending on the integrity of vagus nerve.

Scientists studied whether acupuncture could help autism-like behaviors in mice. They found that a type of acupuncture called electroacupuncture improved behavioral symptoms. The treatment worked by changing gut bacteria and reducing brain inflammation. When they transferred gut bacteria from treated mice to untreated ones, the behavioral improvements transferred too. The treatment only worked when a key nerve (vagus nerve) connecting the gut to the brain was intact.

This animal study investigated how electroacupuncture affects autism spectrum disorder symptoms through the gut-brain connection. Researchers used a mouse model of ASD induced by prenatal valproic acid exposure. Electroacupuncture significantly improved behavioral symptoms in ASD mice. The therapeutic effects were linked to changes in gut microbiota, as demonstrated through fecal transplantation experiments.

When gut bacteria from treated mice were transplanted to untreated ASD mice, behavioral improvements occurred. Conversely, transplanting bacteria from ASD mice to treated mice reduced acupuncture benefits. The study found that electroacupuncture reduced neuroinflammation in brain regions and that these effects required an intact vagus nerve, as vagotomy eliminated therapeutic benefits.

Provides mechanistic evidence for acupuncture as potential ASD intervention targeting gut-brain axis. Suggests importance of gut microbiome and vagus nerve integrity in treatment response. Further human studies needed to establish clinical efficacy and safety.

Animal study using mouse model may not translate directly to humans. Sample size not reported. Single study without replication. Unclear duration of treatment effects or optimal treatment protocols.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disease characterized by behavioral and neurological abnormalities. Numerous pieces of evidence indicate a strong association between ASD and neuroinflammation mediated by gut microbiota and microglial activation. Previous studies have shown that the therapeutic effects of an acupuncture protocol targeting the bacteria-gut-brain axis in a well-established ASD mouse model induced by prenatal exposure to valproic acid (VPA). We demonstrated that electroacupuncture significantly alleviates behavioral symptoms in VPA model.

However, the precise mechanisms remain insufficiently elucidated. In this study, we confirmed that electroacupuncture markedly improved behavioral symptoms in ASD mice. We conducted gut microbiota transplantation from electroacupuncture-treated mice to untreated ASD mice, improving behavioral outcomes in untreated ASD mice. Conversely, by transplanting gut microbiota from ASD mice into electroacupuncture-treated mice, we successfully mitigated the beneficial behavioral effects of acupuncture.

We analyzed inflammatory markers in the microglial activation from cerebral cortex and hippocampus tissues, revealing that acupuncture exerts robust anti-neuroinflammatory effects in ASD mice. To further validate the mechanism, we performed vagotomy in ASD mice, which abolished the therapeutic benefits of acupuncture. Our findings establish that the behavioral improvements observed in ASD mice are intricately linked to the diversity and abundance of gut microbiota. Furthermore, regulatory effects of electroacupuncture on ASD behaviors are mediated via bacteria-gut-brain axis, dependent on intact vagus nerve signaling.

This study provides compelling evidence for the potential of acupuncture to modulate central neuroinflammation through vagus nerve-mediated gut microbiota regulation, offering novel avenue into its therapeutic application for neurodevelopmental disorders such as ASD.