title: Hypericum perforatum treatment: effect on behaviour and neurogenesis in a chronic stress model in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Extracts of Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort) have been traditionally recommended for a wide range of medical conditions, in particular mild-to-moderate depression. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of Hypericum perforatum treatment in a mouse model of anxiety/depressive-like behavior, induced by chronic corticosterone administration.
  
  
  METHODS
  CD1 mice were submitted to 7 weeks corticosterone administration and then behavioral tests as Open Field (OF), Novelty-Suppressed Feeding (NSF), Forced Swim Test (FST) were performed. Cell proliferation in hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) was investigated by both 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) and doublecortin (DCX) immunohistochemistry techniques and stereological procedure was used to quantify labeled cells. Golgi-impregnation method was used to evaluate changes in dendritic spines in DG. Hypericum perforatum (30 mg/Kg) has been administered for 3 weeks and then neural development in the adult hippocampus and behavioral changes have been examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The anxiety/depressive-like state due to chronic corticosterone treatment was reversed by exogenous administration of Hypericum perforatum; the proliferation of progenitor cells in mice hippocampus was significantly reduced under chronic corticosterone treatment, whereas a long term treatment with Hypericum perforatum prevented the corticosterone-induced decrease in hippocampal cell proliferation. Corticosterone-treated mice exhibited a reduced spine density that was ameliorated by Hypericum perforatum administration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results provide evidence of morphological adaptations occurring in mature hippocampal neurons that might underlie resilient responses to chronic stress and contribute to the therapeutic effects of chronic Hypericum perforatum treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosalia
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Crupi
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mazzon
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marino
authors.forename: Giuseppina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: La Spada
authors.forename: Placido
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bramanti
authors.forename: Fortunato
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Battaglia
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cuzzocrea
authors.forename: Edoardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Spina
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D003345:Corticosterone; D003712:Dendrites / Q000187:drug effects; D003863:Depression / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D000089662:Doublecortin Protein; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects*; D020902:Hypericum; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: C000714847:Dcx protein, mouse; D000089662:Doublecortin Protein; D010936:Plant Extracts; D003345:Corticosterone