title: Long-term treatment with peony glycosides reverses chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced depressive-like behavior via increasing expression of neurotrophins in rat brain.
abstract: The root part of Paeonia lactiflora Pall., commonly known as peony, is a commonly used Chinese herb for the treatment of depression-like disorders. Previous studies in our laboratory have showed that total glycosides of peony (TGP) produced antidepressant-like action in various mouse models of behavioral despair. The present study aimed to investigate the mechanism(s) underlying the antidepressant-like action of TGP by measuring neurotrophins including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) in non-stressed and chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-treated rats. TGP (80 or 160 mg/kg/day) was administered by oral gavage to the animals for 5 weeks. The results showed that CUMS caused depression-like behavior in rats, as indicated by the significant decreases in sucrose consumption and locomotor activity (assessed by open-field test). In addition, it was found that BDNF contents in the hippocampus and frontal cortex were significantly decreased in CUMS-treated rats. CUMS treatment also significantly decreased the level of NGF in the frontal cortex of the animals. Daily intragastric administration of TGP (80 or 160 mg/kg/day) during the five weeks of CUMS significantly suppressed behavioral and biochemical changes induced by CUMS. Treating non-stressed animals with TGP (160 mg/kg) for 5 weeks also significantly increased BDNF contents in the hippocampus and frontal cortex, and NGF contents in the frontal cortex. The results suggest that the antidepressant-like action of TGP is mediated, at least in part, by increasing the expression of BDNF and NGF in selective brain tissues.
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Qing-Qiu
authors.initials: QQ
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Yan-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Xian
authors.forename: Siu-Po
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Ip
authors.forename: Sam-Hip
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Chun-Tao
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Che
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005508:Food Deprivation; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000187:drug effects; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006027:Glycosides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029596:Paeonia / Q000737:chemistry*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D013395:Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014868:Water Deprivation
chemical_list: D006027:Glycosides; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D013395:Sucrose