title: Antidepressant-like effect of Fuzi total alkaloid on ovariectomized mice.
abstract: Recent studies in vivo and vitro have shown that Fuzi polysaccharide has an antidepressant-like effect. Polysaccharide and total alkaloid are the two most important components of Fuzi. However, little is known about the antidepressant-like effect of Fuzi total alkaloid. To investigate the antidepressant-like effect of Fuzi total alkaloid, behavioral studies were performed in the open field test and forced swimming test. Repeated intragastric administration of Fuzi total alkaloid for 7 days (10 mg/kg) to normal mice decreased immobility time compared to the vehicle group. Furthermore, repeated administration of Fuzi total alkaloid (10 or 30 mg/kg) to ovariectomized mice also decreased immobility time in a dose-dependent manner. However, these antidepressant-like behavioral effects were not simply due to locomotor hyperactivity. Further experiments showed that Fuzi total alkaloid enhanced the ratio of phospho-CREB/CREB (cAMP response element-binding) and BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) protein level in the frontal cortex and hippocampus in ovariectomized mice but not in normal mice. These results indicate that the CREB-BDNF pathway may be involved in the antidepressant-like effect of Fuzi total alkaloid in ovariectomized mice.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroscience, Physiology, School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Bingjin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Dongyuan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Xiulan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Ranji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Yuxin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D004224:Diterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D010052:Ovariectomy; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; C492004:Creb1 protein, mouse; D017362:Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein; D004224:Diterpenes; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C575009:fuzi drug herbal