title: Antidepressant effects of a plant-derived flavonoid baicalein involving extracellular signal-regulated kinases cascade.
abstract: Depression and related mood disorders are among the world's greatest public health problems. Previous studies have demonstrated that baicalein (Bai), one plant-derived active flavonoid, exhibits neuroprotection against ischemic brain injury and stimulates the levels of phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (pERK) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in vivo. In this study, the antidepressant-like effects of baicalein was investigated using acute and chronic animal models of depression. The results showed that acute application of Bai at doses of 1, 2 and 4 mg/kg by intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) significantly reduced the immobility time in the forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspending test (TST) of mice. In addition, the chronic application of Bai by i.p. for 21 d also reduced the immobility time and improved locomotor activity in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CMS) model rats. Furthermore, it was shown that Bai reversed the reduction of extracellular ERKs phosphorylation and the level of BDNF expression in the hippocampus of CMS model rats. These results suggest that Bai produce an antidepressant-like effect and this effect is at least partly mediated by hippocampal ERK-mediated neurotrophic action.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Peng-Fei
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Liang-Liang
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Zhuang-Li
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jian-Guo
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D044950:Flavanones / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D010766:Phosphorylation; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018517:Plant Roots; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D031364:Scutellaria baicalensis / Q000737:chemistry*; D013550:Swimming
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D044950:Flavanones; D010936:Plant Extracts; C006680:baicalein; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases