title: Essential oil of Perilla frutescens-induced change in hippocampal expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in chronic unpredictable mild stress in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Perilla frutescens (Perilla leaf), a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, has been used for centuries to treat various conditions including depression. A previous study of the authors demonstrated that essential oil of Perilla frutescens (EOPF) attenuated the depressive-like behavior in mice.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study was undertaken to explore the dynamic change of behaviors and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), and improved by EOPF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four separate CUMS experimental groups (1-week, 2-week, 3-week and 4-week treatment) were treated with EOPF (3 mg/kg and 6 mg/kg, p.o.) or fluoxetine (20 mg/kg, p.o.), followed by sucrose preference, locomotor activity, immobility and hippocampal BDNF measurement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EOPF, as well as fluoxetine, restored the CUMS-induced decreased sucrose preference and increased immobility time, without affecting body weight gain and locomotor activity. Furthermore, CUMS (3 or 4-week) produced a reduction in both BDNF mRNA and protein expression in the hippocampus, which were ameliorated by EOPF (4-week) and fluoxetine (3 or 4-week) treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results presented here show that BDNF is expressed depending on length of CUMS procedure and EOPF administration. And this study might contribute to the underlying reason for the slow onset of antidepressant activity in clinic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, Fujian province, PR China. litao.yi@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Li-Tao
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.forename: Bin-Bin
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Jia-Qi
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Lian-Jin
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Weng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015536:Down-Regulation; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000187:drug effects; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D031344:Perilla frutescens / Q000737:chemistry; D008517:Phytotherapy; D018515:Plant Leaves; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D013395:Sucrose; D013997:Time Factors; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010938:Plant Oils; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D005473:Fluoxetine; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid; D013395:Sucrose; C058216:perilla seed oil