title: Antidepressant-like effects of sarsasapogenin from Anemarrhena asphodeloides BUNGE (Liliaceae).
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sarsasapogenin from Anemarrhena asphodeloides BUNGE (Liliaceae) on the forced swimming test, and the central noradrenergic, dopaminergic and serotonergic activities in mice. Our results showed that sarsasapogenin treatment at 12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg (p.o.) for 14 d significantly reduced the duration of immobility in the forced swimming test. These doses that affected the immobile response did not affect locomotor activity. In addition, the neurochemical assays showed that sarsasapogenin produced a marked increase of noradrenaline and serotonin levels at 50 mg/kg in both the hypothalamus and the hippocampus. Moreover, sarsasapogenin showed a monoamine oxidase inhibitory activity in the mouse brain. These findings suggest that the antidepressant activity of sarsasapogenin may involve the central monoaminergic neurotransmitter systems.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, China.
authors.forename: Li-Xiang
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Yi-Fan
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dai-Ying
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.forename: Ying-Liang
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D031403:Anemarrhena / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation / Q000494:pharmacology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D013150:Spirostans / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013550:Swimming
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D018687:Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013150:Spirostans; D005473:Fluoxetine; D012701:Serotonin; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; C046297:sarsasapogenin; D009638:Norepinephrine