title: Piperine reverses chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced behavioral and biochemical alterations in rats.
abstract: Previous studies in our laboratory have demonstrated that piperine produced antidepressant-like action in various mouse models of behavioral despair, which was related to the serotonergic system. The present study aimed to examine the behavioral and biochemical effects of piperine in rats exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). The results showed that CUMS caused depression-like behavior in rats, as indicated by the significant decrease in sucrose consumption and increase in immobility time in the forced swim test. In addition, it was found that serotonin (5-HT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) contents in the hippocampus and frontal cortex were significantly decreased in CUMS-treated rats. Treating the animals with piperine significantly suppressed behavioral and biochemical changes induced by CUMS. The results suggest that piperine produces an antidepressant-like effect in CUMS-treated rats, which is possibly mediated by increasing 5-HT and BDNF contents in selective brain tissues.
authors.affiliation: School of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T., Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Qing-Qiu
authors.initials: QQ
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xiao-Ming
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Yan-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Xian
authors.forename: Siu-Po
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Ip
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D052117:Benzodioxoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D008297:Male; D010880:Piperidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D052117:Benzodioxoles; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D010880:Piperidines; D053284:Polyunsaturated Alkamides; D012701:Serotonin; C008922:piperine