title: Involvement of PKA, CaMKII, PKC, MAPK/ERK and PI3K in the acute antidepressant-like effect of ferulic acid in the tail suspension test.
abstract: Ferulic acid (FA, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid) is a phytochemical compound naturally present in several plants and foods that is approved as an antioxidant additive and food preservative. It exerts a beneficial action in chronic mild stress-induced depressive-like behavior and produces an acute antidepressant-like effect in the tail suspension test (TST) through the activation of the serotonergic system. This study was aimed at investigating the possible involvement of signaling pathways in the antidepressant-like effect of acute and oral administration of FA, in the TST in mice. The anti-immobility effect of orally administered FA (0.01mg/kg, p.o.) was prevented by pretreatment of mice with H-89 (1μg/site, i.c.v., an inhibitor of PKA), KN-62 (1μg/site, i.c.v., an inhibitor of CaMKII), GF109203X (5ng/site, i.c.v., an inhibitor of PKC), U0126 (5μg/site, i.c.v., an inhibitor of MAPK/ERK) or LY294002 (10nmol/site, i.c.v., an inhibitor of PI3K), all involved with neurotrophic signaling pathways. The results demonstrated that FA exerts antidepressant-like effect in the TST in mice, through the activation of signaling pathways related to neuroplasticity, neurogenesis and cell survival.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, 88040-900, SC, Brazil. anazeni@furb.br
authors.forename: Ana Lúcia Bertarello
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Zeni
authors.forename: Andréa Dias Elpo
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Zomkowski
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maraschin
authors.forename: Ana Lúcia Severo
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Carla Inês
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Tasca
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003373:Coumaric Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019417:Hindlimb Suspension; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D003373:Coumaric Acids; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; C004999:ferulic acid; D011494:Protein Kinases