# Electroacupuncture improves depression with constipation by balancing gut microbiota in WKY rats

## TL;DR

Electroacupuncture helps reduce depression and constipation in rats by restoring gut microbiota balance.

## Contribution

This study shows electroacupuncture and fecal microbiota transplantation both treat depression and constipation via gut microbiota modulation.

## Key findings

- WKY rats had higher Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Desulfobacterota, and lower Firmicutes compared to controls.
- Fecal microbiota transplantation from healthy rats improved depression and gut function in WKY rats.
- Electroacupuncture reversed depressive behaviors and restored gut microbiota balance in WKY rats.

## Abstract

Accumulating evidence underscores the pivotal role of the gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of depression. In this study, we employed the Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat, a well-established animal model of depression comorbid with constipation. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we characterized the gut microbial community structure and investigated the impact of microbiota modulation on depressive-like behaviors and gastrointestinal dysfunction. Comparative analyses revealed that WKY rats exhibited significantly increased relative abundances of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Desulfobacterota, accompanied by a marked reduction in Firmicutes compared to control Wistar rats. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) demonstrated that colonization of WKY rats with microbiota from Wistar rats restored microbial composition, improved depressive-like behaviors, and normalized gut motility. In contrast, Wistar rats receiving microbiota from WKY donors developed depression-like phenotypes and impaired intestinal function. Moreover, electroacupuncture (EA) treatment not only alleviated depressive-like behaviors in WKY rats but also promoted recovery of colonic epithelial ultrastructure and rebalanced gut microbial composition. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that both FMT and EA effectively ameliorate depressive behaviors and constipation in WKY rats, with EA likely exerting its therapeutic effects through modulation of the gut microbiota.