title: Neuropsychopharmacological effect of sesamol in unpredictable chronic mild stress model of depression: behavioral and biochemical evidences.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A complex relationship exists among stressful situations, body's reaction to stress, and the onset of clinical depression. Chronic unpredictable stressors can produce a situation similar to clinical depression, and such animal models can be used for the preclinical evaluation of antidepressants. Many findings have shown that the levels of proinflammatory cytokines (e.g., TNF-α) and oxidative stress (increased lipid peroxidation, decreased glutathione levels, and endogenous antioxidant enzyme activities) are increased in patients with depression. Sesamol, a phenolic derivative with a methylenedioxy group, is a potent inhibitor of cytokine production as well as an antioxidant.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study was designed to investigate the effect of sesamol on unpredictable chronic stress-induced behavioral and biochemical alterations in mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Animals were subjected to different stress paradigms daily for a period of 21 days to induce depressive-like behavior. The sucrose preference, immobility period, locomotor activity, memory acquisition, and retention were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chronic treatment with sesamol significantly reversed the unpredictable chronic stress-induced behavioral (increased immobility period, reduced sucrose preference), biochemical (increased lipid peroxidation and nitrite levels; decreased glutathione levels, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities), and inflammation surge (serum TNF-α) in stressed mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study revealed that sesamol exerted antidepressant-like effects in behavioral despair paradigm in chronically stressed mice, specifically by modulating central oxidative-nitrosative stress and inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology Research Laboratory, University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UGC Centre of Advanced Study, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India.
authors.forename: Baldeep
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Anurag
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuhad
authors.forename: Kanwaljit
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chopra
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D052117:Benzodioxoles / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000187:drug effects; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D010636:Phenols / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011600:Psychopharmacology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D052117:Benzodioxoles; D010636:Phenols; C025583:sesamol