title: Antidepressant-like effects of a water-soluble extract from the culture medium of Ganoderma lucidum mycelia in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ganoderma lucidum is a popular medicinal mushroom used for promoting health and longevity in Asian countries. Previously, we reported that a water-soluble extract from a culture medium of Ganoderma lucidum mycelia (MAK) exerts antioxidative and cerebroprotective effects against ischemia-reperfusion injury in vivo. Here, we evaluated the antidepressant and anxiolytic activities of MAK in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  MAK (0.3 or 1 g/kg, p.o.) was administered in the experimental animals 60 min before the forced swimming, open-field, elevated plus-maze, contextual fear-conditioning, and head twitch tests. Additionally, the mechanisms involved in the antidepressant-like action of MAK were investigated by the serotonin precursor 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan (5-HTP)- or 5-HT2A agonist (±)-1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane hydrochloride (DOI)-induced head twitch responses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment with MAK (1 g/kg) exhibited antidepressant-like effects in the forced swimming test, attenuated freezing behavior in the contextual fear-conditioning test, and decreased the number of head twitches induced by DOI, but not with 5-HTP. No significant response was observed in locomotion or anxiety-like behavior, when the animals were evaluated in the open-field or elevated plus-maze test, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that MAK has antidepressant-like potential, which is most likely due to the antagonism of 5-HT2A receptors, and possesses anxiolytic-like effects toward memory-dependent and/or stress-induced anxiety in rats.
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsuzaki
authors.forename: Yuta
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Naohiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iwata
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kamiuchi
authors.forename: Fumiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iizuka
authors.forename: Yasuhide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hibino
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Josai University, 1-1 Keyakidai, Sakado, Saitama 350-0295, Japan. okazaki@josai.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okazaki
mesh_terms: D006916:5-Hydroxytryptophan / Q000633:toxicity; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D005239:Fear / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D025282:Mycelium / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020940:Reishi / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D020323:Tics / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D010936:Plant Extracts; D006916:5-Hydroxytryptophan