title: Urtica dioica extract attenuates depressive like behavior and associative memory dysfunction in dexamethasone induced diabetic mice.
abstract: Evidences suggest that glucocorticoids results in depression and is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Further diabetes induces oxidative stress and hippocampal dysfunction resulting in cognitive decline. Traditionally Urtica dioica has been used for diabetes mellitus and cognitive dysfunction. The present study investigated the effect of the hydroalcoholic extract of Urtica dioica leaves (50 and 100 mg/kg, p.o.) in dexamethasone (1 mg/kg, i.m.) induced diabetes and its associated complications such as depressive like behavior and cognitive dysfunction. We observed that mice administered with chronic dexamethasone resulted in hypercortisolemia, oxidative stress, depressive like behavior, cognitive impairment, hyperglycemia with reduced body weight, increased water intake and decreased hippocampal glucose transporter-4 (GLUT4) mRNA expression. Urtica dioica significantly reduced hyperglycemia, plasma corticosterone, oxidative stress and depressive like behavior as well as improved associative memory and hippocampal GLUT4 mRNA expression comparable to rosiglitazone (5 mg/kg, p.o.). Further, Urtica dioica insignificantly improved spatial memory and serum insulin. In conclusion, Urtica dioica reversed dexamethasone induced hyperglycemia and its associated complications such as depressive like behavior and cognitive dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Jaypee University of Information Technology, Waknaghat, Himachal Pradesh, 173234, India.
authors.forename: Sita Sharan
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Malairaman
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Udayabanu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001245:Association Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000633:toxicity; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005260:Female; D051275:Glucose Transporter Type 4 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007103:Immobilization; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D051379:Mice; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000077154:Rosiglitazone; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D013550:Swimming; D045162:Thiazolidinediones / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D026982:Urtica dioica
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D001786:Blood Glucose; D051275:Glucose Transporter Type 4; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C495693:Slc2a4 protein, mouse; D045162:Thiazolidinediones; D000077154:Rosiglitazone; D003907:Dexamethasone; D003345:Corticosterone