Antidepressant effect of Shudihuang on mice exposed to unpredictable chronic mild stress.
OBJECTIVE
Depression is a severe mood disorder. It was treated with Shudihuang, the steamed roots of Rehmannia glutinota Libosch. (SRG), in traditional Chinese medicine. The present paper was designed to verify its antidepressant effect.


METHODS
A mouse model of depression was established though unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS). Low and high doses of SRG were administered orally. Fur state, body and organ weight, and gastric ulcers were examined. Locomotion was assayed in open field test. Liver antioxidant indexes were measured spectrophotometrically.


RESULTS
Fur state, body and organ weight were found to be insensitive to UCMS. The locomotion reduced by UCMS was restored by low dose of SRG (2.5 g/kg BW) but not by high dose (5 g/kg BW). UCMS resulted in aggravated gastric ulceration, elevated liver malondialdehyde, together with reduced total antioxidant capability, glutathione content, and superoxide dismutase and catalase activities. The alterations were improved by SRG in a dose-dependent manner. The differences in the activity of glutathione peroxidase were statistically nonsignificant among groups. Clomipramine the positive drug was similar to SRG especially in antioxidation.


CONCLUSIONS
SRG is of therapeutic value for depression-like disorders, and antioxidation may be one of the mechanisms underlying its antidepressant action.
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, No: 44 Wenhua Xilu, Jinan, Shandong 250012, PR China.
Di
D
Zhang
Xue-sen
XS
Wen
Xue-yan
XY
Wang
Min
M
Shi
Yu
Y
Zhao
D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D001835:Body Weight; D002908:Chronic Disease; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009929:Organ Size; D018517:Plant Roots; D032267:Rehmannia; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000628:therapy*
D000928:Antidepressive Agents