{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,19]],"date-time":"2025-12-19T09:45:59Z","timestamp":1766137559248,"version":"3.48.0"},"reference-count":57,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,18]],"date-time":"2025-12-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1766016000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"H863 Program of National Defense Science and Technology Innovation Zone","award":["20-163-02-ZT-008-003-01"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["20-163-02-ZT-008-003-01"]}]},{"name":"the Beijing Higher Education Institutions\u2019 Intercollegiate Cooperation Program for College Students\u2019 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training","award":["202498132"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["202498132"]}]},{"name":"the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program Project","award":["X202510026102"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["X202510026102"]}]},{"name":"the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program Project","award":["X202510026048"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["X202510026048"]}]},{"name":"the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program Project","award":["X202510026003"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["X202510026003"]}]},{"name":"the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program Project","award":["X202510026046"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["X202510026046"]}]},{"name":"the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program Project","award":["X202510026099"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["X202510026099"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Brain Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating psychiatric condition with limited treatment efficacy. Alternating current electroacupuncture (AC-EA) represents a novel neuromodulatory approach, though its mechanisms\u2014particularly its influence on the gut\u2013brain axis\u2014remain underexplored. Methods: We investigated the neurobehavioral and microbiological effects of AC-EA in a rat model of PTSD induced by single prolonged stress. Animals received AC-EA at Baihui (GV20) and Mingmen (GV4) acupoints with varying parameters (0.5 mA\/20 Hz, 1 mA\/20 Hz, and 1 mA\/2 Hz). Behavioral tests (open field test, elevated plus maze), histopathological assessments, immunofluorescence for TLR4, and 16S rRNA sequencing of gut microbiota were performed. Results: AC-EA at 1 mA\/2 Hz significantly improved exploratory behavior and reduced anxiety-like responses (p &lt; 0.05). This regimen also restored neuronal integrity in the hippocampus and cortex and reversed PTSD-induced gut dysbiosis, enriching beneficial genera such as Ligilactobacillus. Furthermore, AC-EA downregulated hepatic TLR4 expression, indicating suppression of neuroinflammatory signaling. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that AC-EA exerts neuromodulatory and microbiota-rebalancing effects via the gut\u2013brain axis, highlighting its potential as a non-invasive therapeutic strategy for PTSD and related brain health disorders.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/brainsci15121346","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,18]],"date-time":"2025-12-18T14:32:03Z","timestamp":1766068323000},"page":"1346","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Neuromodulatory Effects of Alternating Current Electroacupuncture on PTSD-like Behaviors via Gut-Brain Axis Communication"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Yijin","family":"Jiang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Qixing","family":"Wu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Life Science, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yingjie","family":"Liao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Medicine College, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610075, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bohan","family":"Hu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-5738-7638","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fuwen","family":"Deng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hongxu","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7941-4753","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shaohui","family":"Geng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Life Science, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1846-0227","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Guangrui","family":"Huang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Life Science, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"377","DOI":"10.1080\/15325024.2023.2267430","article-title":"PTSD Symptoms and Quality of Life after Childhood Traumatic Experiences: A Meta-Analysis","volume":"29","author":"Alexandra","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. 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