Eugenol exhibits antidepressant-like activity in mice and induces expression of metallothionein-III in the hippocampus.
Here we show that eugenol has an antidepressant-like activity comparable to that of imipramine using a forced swim test and a tail suspension test in mice. Furthermore, we show that both eugenol and imipramine induce brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus with and without induction of metallothionein-III (MT-III), respectively. It may be possible that MT-III expression is involved in the exhibition of antidepressant-like activity of eugenol, not of imipramine.
Irie
Yoshifumi
Y
Department of Oriental Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinano-machi, Shinjuku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan. iymkdks@yahoo.co.jp
Itokazu
Nanae
N
Anjiki
Naoko
N
Ishige
Atsushi
A
Watanabe
Kenji
K
Keung
Wing Ming
WM
D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005054:Eugenol / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D019417:Hindlimb Suspension; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects*; D007099:Imipramine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D000090023:Metallothionein 3; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D013550:Swimming; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D000090023:Metallothionein 3; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D005054:Eugenol; D000521:alpha-MSH; C027756:MSH, 4-Nle-7-Phe-alpha-; D007099:Imipramine