Bidirectional regulation of bakuchiol, an estrogenic-like compound, on catecholamine secretion.
Excess or deficiency of catecholamine (CA) secretion was related with several diseases. Recently, estrogen and phytoestrogens were reported to regulate the activity of CA system. Bakuchiol is a phytoestrogen isolated from the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia L. (Leguminosae) which has been used in Traditional Chinese medicine as a tonic or aphrodisiac. In the present study, bovine adrenal medullary cells were employed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of bakuchiol on the regulation of CA secretion. Further, its anti-depressant like and anti-stress effects were evaluated by using behavioral despair and chronic immobilization stress models. Our results indicated that bakuchiol showed bidirectional regulation on CA secretion. It stimulated basal CA secretion in a concentration dependent manner (p<0.01), while it reduced 300μM acetylcholine (ACh) (p<0.01), 100μM veratridine (Ver) (p<0.01) and 56mM K(+) (p<0.05) induced CA secretion, respectively. We also found that the stimulation of basal CA secretion by bakuchiol may act through estrogen-like effect and the JNK pathway in an extra-cellular calcium independent manner. Further, bakuchiol elevated tyrosine hydroxylase Ser40 and Ser31 phosphorylation (p<0.01) through the PKA and ERK1/2 pathways, respectively. Bakuchiol inhibited ACh, Ver and 56mM K(+) induced CA secretion was related with reduction of intracellular calcium rise. In vivo experiments, we found that bakuchiol significantly reduced immobilization time in behavioral despair mouse (p<0.05 or 0.01), and plasma epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE) levels in chronic immobilization stress (p<0.05). Overall, these results present a bidirectional regulation of bakuchiol on CA secretion which indicated that bakuchiol may exert anti-stress and the potential anti-depressant-like effects.
Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulae, China; Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Haoping
H
Mao
Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulae, China; Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Hong
H
Wang
Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulae, China; Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Shangwei
S
Ma
Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulae, China; Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Yantong
Y
Xu
Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulae, China; Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Han
H
Zhang
Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulae, China; Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Yuefei
Y
Wang
First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Zichang
Z
Niu
Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulae, China; Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Guanwei
G
Fan
Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulae, China; Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China.
Yan
Y
Zhu
Tianjin State Key Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Key Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulae, China; Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China. Electronic address: gaoxiumei@tjutcm.edu.cn.
Xiu Mei
XM
Gao
D000313:Adrenal Medulla / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D002417:Cattle; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D010636:Phenols / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D002395:Catecholamines; D004967:Estrogens; D010636:Phenols; C012765:bakuchiol
Anti-stress; Antidepressant-like effect; Bakuchiol; CA; Catecholamine; DA; DOPA; Dual effects; E; NE; TH; catecholamine; dihydroxyphenylalanine; dopamine; epinephrine; norepinephrine; tyrosine hydroxylase