Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation in Early Life Changes Synaptic Plasticity and Improves Symptoms in a Valproic Acid-Induced Rat Model of Autism

Figure 2

TEAS treatment in early life stage had long-term behavior effects on offspring of VPA treated rats. (a) Schematic diagram of three-chamber test in stage 1 (social preference). (b) The time the animal spent investigating either on the stranger cage side or empty cage side in stage 1 of the three-chamber test (paired -test, NS-control , VPA-sham , VPA-TEAS ). (c) The sniffing time of the stranger cage in stage 1 of the three-chamber test (one-way ANOVA). (d) The social preference index (one-way ANOVA). (e) Schematic diagram of the three-chamber test in stage 2 (social novelty). (f) The time spent investigating either the new stranger or the familiar stranger in stage 1 of the three-chamber test (paired -test, NS-control , VPA-sham , VPA-TEAS ). (g) The sniffing time on new stranger in stage 2 of the three-chamber test (one-way ANOVA). (h) The social preference index (one-way ANOVA). (i) The time of self-grooming test (one-way ANOVA, NS-control , VPA-sham , VPA-TEAS ). (j) Schematic diagram of new objective recognition. (k) The time spent on investigating either familiar or novel object in novel object recognition test (one-way ANOVA, NS-control , VPA-sham , VPA-TEAS ). (l) The withdrawal latency in the hot plate test for heat sensitivity (one-way ANOVA for same temperature, NS-control , VPA-sham , VPA-TEAS ). Data was presented as the . , , .