由于现有的抗抑郁药物起效慢、副作用大，且对部分重症抑郁患者无效。因此寻找新的抗抑郁治疗方法是个迫切的临床需求。经颅磁刺激作为安全的非侵入性脑刺激术，已被用于抑郁症的临床治疗并越来越受重视，但其作用机制尚不清楚。既往工作已经证明神经肽之一的甘丙肽与抑郁症发病机制密切相关，我们新近发现深部磁刺激（DMS）在明显改善慢性应激抑郁（CMS）大鼠的抑郁样行为同时也翻转模型海马的体积萎缩和甘丙肽表达降低，提示甘丙肽可能参与DMS的抗抑郁机制且可能与促进海马神经元发生有关。本课题拟以CMS大鼠为模型，利用行为学结合脑影像技术进一步确认DMS的抗抑郁作用，并深入探讨DMS对海马神经元及突触可塑性的影响；利用siRNA技术结合行为学、形态学和电生理学等方法，并结合本实验室甘丙肽受体研究的工作基础，深入探讨甘丙肽及其受体在磁刺激抗抑郁过程中的作用及其机制，以提高和丰富对抑郁症机制的认识和干预的思路和方法。

Major depression is a serious disease affecting a large number of humans and is at present often treated with so called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. However, this class of drugs has several problems, and there is an urge to develop novel antidepressants. Deep magnetic stimulation (DMS) has been used to treat depression in recent years. However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. The main aim of this project is to understand the functional significance of neuropeptides galanin in mechanisms underlying anti-depressive effect of DMS, which will be analyzed in chronic unpredictable mild stress rats. The anti-depressive effects were evaluated by the sucrose preference test, the forced swimming test, and the open-field test, as well as MRI and electrophysiology. The expression levels of galanin and its receptors in hippocampus will be investigated. Moreover, the role of galanin and its receptors in DMS will be studied with siRNA method and interference peptides. This study may lead to development of therapeutic molecules and devices for treatment of major depression.