title: The effects of lobeline on depression-like behavior and hippocampal cell proliferation following chronic stress in mice.
abstract: We have reported that brain nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) ligand lobeline has antidepressant-like effects in mice. The present study examined the effects of lobeline on chronic unpredictable stress (CUS)-induced depression-like behavior, deficits in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression and cell proliferation in the hippocampus. Adult C57BL/6J mice were exposed to CUS for 6 weeks. Lobeline (1 or 4 mg/kg, s.c.) or saline was administered once daily during the last 14 days of CUS. CUS-exposed mice showed increased immobility time in the FST compared to control. Pretreatment with lobeline (1 mg/kg) significantly reduced immobility time in the CUS-exposed mice. Twenty-four hour following lobeline or saline treatment, BDNF expression or cell proliferation was measured in the hippocampus using Western blotting and bromodeoxyuridine immunohistochemistry, respectively. Lobeline (1 mg/kg) treatment prevented CUS-induced reduction in BDNF expression and cell proliferation in the hippocampus. Overall, our findings suggest that antidepressant-like effects of lobeline could involve nAChR mediated signaling, BDNF expression, and/or hippocampal cell proliferation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA.
authors.forename: Monzurul Amin
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Roni
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA. Electronic address: Shafiqur.Rahman@sdstate.edu.
authors.forename: Shafiqur
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rahman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008120:Lobeline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D008120:Lobeline
keywords: BDNF; Chronic stress; Hippocampus; Lobeline; Major depression; Nicotinic receptor