Acupuncture treatment for depression has definite therapeutic efficacy, and its mechanism has been extensively studied. The extracellular regulatory protein kinase(ERK) signaling pathway is involved in the development and progression of depression. This article reviewed and summarized the research progress on the regulation of the ERK signaling pathway by acupuncture in the treatment of depression in recent years, focusing on the physiological activation and regulatory mechanism of the ERK signaling pathway, its association with the occurrence of depression, and the mechanisms through which acupuncture activates the ERK signaling pathway to treat depression (including enhancing neuronal synaptic plasticity, promoting the release of neurotrophic factors, and inhibiting neuronal apoptosis). Future research could explore the relationship between the ERK pathway and other pathways, investigate other brain regions besides the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, examine differences in regulatory mechanisms between male and female patients, assess the effects of different acupuncture techniques on the ERK pathway, and increase efforts to explore mechanism of synaptic plasticity regulation, so as to provide reference for the clinical application and mechanism sludy of acupuncture in depression treatment.
针刺治疗抑郁症疗效确切，其机制研究不断深入。细胞外调节蛋白激酶（ERK）信号通路参与抑郁症的发生发展过程。本文对近年来针刺调控ERK信号通路治疗抑郁症的研究进行了回顾和梳理，分别从ERK信号通路的生理机制、与抑郁症发病的关系、针刺激活ERK信号通路治疗抑郁症的机制（包括增强神经元突触可塑性、促进神经营养因子释放、抑制神经元凋亡）进行综述并展望未来研究方向，为针刺治疗抑郁症的临床应用和机制研究提供参考。.
Keywords: Acupuncture; Depression; ERK signaling pathway; Molecular mechanism.