Antidepressant-like effects of the saponins extracted from Chaihu-jia-longgu-muli-tang in a rat unpredictable chronic mild stress model.
Chaihu-jia-longgu-muli-tang (CLM) has been used for treating depressive disorders for thousands of years in China. In the present study, we investigated the antidepressant-like effect of the saponins extracted from CLM (SCLM) in rats subjected to unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS). The ameliorative effect of SCLM on symptom of depression through behavior tests including: sucrose preference test, open-field test and forced-swimming test was investigated. In addition, high performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD), immunohistochemical staining analysis and RT-PCR were applied to explore the mechanisms underlying the antidepressant-like effects of SCLM. It was observed that administration of SCLM (70, 140 mg/kg) reversed the depressive-like behaviors, restored the reduction in the levels of monoamine neurotransmitters and up-regulated the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in UCMS-treated rats. These findings confirmed the antidepressant-like effects of SCLM in UCMS model of rats.
Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, PR China.
Lu-Fan
LF
Li
Jie
J
Lu
Xiu-Min
XM
Li
Chang-Liang
CL
Xu
Jie
J
Yang
Rong
R
Qu
Shi-Ping
SP
Ma
D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry*; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008297:Male; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012503:Saponins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects*
D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012503:Saponins; D005473:Fluoxetine