title: Antidepressant-like effects of curcumin in chronic mild stress of rats: involvement of its anti-inflammatory action.
abstract: Mounting evidence suggests that inflammation may contribute to the pathophysiology of depression. Curcumin, a polyphenol extracted from the plant Curcuma longa, exhibits a number of pharmacological properties, including potent anti-inflammatory action. Hence, the current study aimed to explore the immunomodulatory effects of curcumin in an animal model of chronic mild stress (CMS). Rats were subjected to CMS protocol for a period of 21 days to induce depressive-like behavior. The body weight, sucrose preference and locomotor activity were evaluated. Both RT-PCR and ELISA were used to determine the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Modulation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation was assessed by western blotting. Chronic treatment with curcumin significantly reversed the CMS-induced behavioral abnormalities (reduced sucrose preference and decreased locomotor activity) in stressed rats. Additionally, curcumin effectively inhibited cytokine gene expression at both the mRNA and the protein level and reduced the activation of NF-κB. The study revealed that curcumin exerted antidepressant-like effects in CMS rats, partially due to its anti-inflammatory aptitude.
authors.affiliation: Institute of medical psychology, Shandong University School of Medicine, 44#, Wenhua Xi Road, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, PR China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yihe
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Qingrui
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qinsong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Luan
authors.forename: Wenqiang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Dexiang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003474:Curcumin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D013395:Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D016207:Cytokines; D016328:NF-kappa B; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D013395:Sucrose; D003474:Curcumin
keywords: CMS; Chronic mild stress; Cucurmin; Cur; Depression; ELISA; FST; IL-6; NF-κB; Proinflammatory cytokines; RT-PCR; TNF-α; chronic mild stress; curcumin; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; forced swim test; interleukin-6; nuclear factor-κB; reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction; tumor necrosis factor-α