Fig. 2

Effects of acupuncture treatment on concomitant anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors in MC903-induced atopic dermatitis mice. Anxiety-like behavior was measured by open field test (OFT; A–C) and elevated plus maze (EPM; D–F) on day 10 and depressive-like behavior by the tail suspension test (TST; G) on day 11. A Time spent in center in OFT. B The amount of distance traveled in center in OFT. C Thigmotaxis in OFT. D Entries (%) into open arms in EPM. E Time (%) spent in open arms in EPM. F Anxiety index in EPM. G Immobility time in the TST. NOR untreated control group, MC903 MC903-induced atopic dermatitis group, pAP MC903- and preventive acupuncture-treated group, tAP MC903- and therapeutic acupuncture-treated group, CP MC903- and acupuncture at control point (non-acupoint)-treated group. All data are presented as mean ± SD, n = 6 mice/group. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001 vs. NOR group; ^#p < 0.05, ^##p < 0.01, ^###p < 0.001 vs. MC903 group; ^†p < 0.05, ^††p < 0.01, ^†††p < 0.001 vs. pAT group; ^‡p < 0.05, ^‡‡‡p < 0.001 vs. tAT group