These findings not only support the view that depression is associated with neuroendocrine and inflammatory pathways, but also indicate that the antidepressant effects of acupuncture may play a role in regulating amino acid metabolism and inflammatory related pathways in the frontal cortex, especially the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, and NF-kappa B signaling pathway. Here, TNF is linked to depressive disorder.