Herbal formula SYJN increases neurotrophin-3 and nerve growth factor expression in brain regions of rats exposed to chronic unpredictable stress.
OBJECTIVE
SYJN is a Chinese herbal formula that contains four herbs: Bupleurum chinense DC., Curcuma aromatica Salisb., Perilla frutescens (L.) Britt., and Acorus tatarinowii Schott. Previous studies conducted in our laboratory have revealed an antidepressant-like effect of the formula in chronic unpredictable stress (CUS)-induced depression model in rats. The present study aimed to investigate whether neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and nerve growth factor (NGF) are involved in the antidepressant-like action of SYJN by using the same depressive model in rats.


METHODS
Rats were subjected to an experimental setting of CUS. The mechanism underlying the antidepressant-like action of SYJN was examined by measuring protein and mRNA expression of NT-3 and NGF in brain tissues of CUS-exposed rats.


RESULTS
The results showed that NT-3 protein and mRNA expression in the hippocampus and frontal cortex were significantly decreased in CUS-treated rats. CUS treatment also significantly decreased NGF protein and mRNA expression in the frontal cortex of the animals. Daily intragastric administration of SYJN (1300 or 2600 mg/kg/day) during the 4 weeks of CUS significantly suppressed these changes induced by CUS.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that the antidepressant-like activity of SYJN is likely mediated by the increases in NT-3 and NGF expression in brain tissues.
Mao
Qing-Qiu
QQ
School of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong, China. hzm1001@hotmail.com
Zhong
Xiao-Ming
XM
Li
Zhao-Yi
ZY
Feng
Chun-Rong
CR
Pan
Ai-Juan
AJ
Huang
Zhen
Z
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008297:Male; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D020933:Neurotrophin 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D020933:Neurotrophin 3; C545641:SYJN herbal formula; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor