title: A novel herbal treatment reduces depressive-like behaviors and increases BDNF levels in the brain of stressed mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Depression is a chronic, recurring and potentially life-threatening illness. Current treatments for depression are characterized by a low success rate and associated with a wide variety of side effects. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the behavioral and biological anti-depressant effects of a novel herbal treatment (NHT), as well as to assess its potential side effects, in comparison to treatment with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor escitalopram.
  
  
  METHODS
  Depressive-like behavior was evaluated using the forced swim test (FST) and the tail suspension test (TST). Sexual behavior was evaluated following treatment by measuring latency before first mount and number of total mounts. Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serotonin transporter (SERT) levels in the pre-frontal cortex (PFC) and hypothalamus were evaluated using high affinity binding assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) The NHT reduced depressive-like behavior in the FST and TST; (2) BDNF levels in the PFC of mice treated both with the NHT and escitalopram were increased; (3) SERT levels in the hypothalamus were significantly higher in the NHT group, in comparison to escitalopram and the control groups, and significantly lower in the PFC of the NHT group in comparison to the escitalopram group; and (4) the NHT led to less sexual dysfunction, compared to treatment with escitalopram.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our NHT has the potential of being highly efficacious in treating depression in humans, while causing minimal to no influence on sexual function.
authors.affiliation: School of Behavioral Sciences, Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Tel-Aviv 61083, Israel; Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University of Israel, 108 Ravutski St., P.O. Box 808, Raanana 43107, Israel; School of Health and Life Sciences, Hadassah Academic College, Jerusalem 94702, Israel. Electronic address: raviddor@mta.ac.il.
authors.forename: Ravid
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Doron
authors.affiliation: School of Behavioral Sciences, Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Tel-Aviv 61083, Israel; School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Dafna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lotan
authors.affiliation: Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University of Israel, 108 Ravutski St., P.O. Box 808, Raanana 43107, Israel.
authors.forename: Nili
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Einat
authors.affiliation: School of Behavioral Sciences, Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Tel-Aviv 61083, Israel.
authors.forename: Roni
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yaffe
authors.affiliation: School of Behavioral Sciences, Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Tel-Aviv 61083, Israel.
authors.forename: Avigail
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Winer
authors.affiliation: School of Behavioral Sciences, Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Tel-Aviv 61083, Israel.
authors.forename: Inbal
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Marom
authors.affiliation: Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University of Israel, 108 Ravutski St., P.O. Box 808, Raanana 43107, Israel.
authors.forename: Gili
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Meron
authors.affiliation: Broshim Campus, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Nadav
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kately
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel; The Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Chair in the Biology of Addictive Diseases, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel.
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rehavi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000032:analysis*; D015283:Citalopram / Q000627:therapeutic use; D027825:Crataegus; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000737:chemistry; D027762:Lilium; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000737:chemistry; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D014908:Triticum
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D015283:Citalopram; D028321:Plant Preparations; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
keywords: BDNF; Depression; Herbal treatment; Mice; SSRI; Serotonin transporter; Sexual dysfunction