title: Antidepressant-like effects of ferulic acid: involvement of serotonergic and norepinergic systems.
abstract: Ferulic acid is a polyphenol that has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties. The present study analyzed the antidepressant-like potential of ferulic acid using two well-validated mouse models of despair test, tail suspension and forced swim tests. The results suggested that ferulic acid treatment at doses of 10, 20, 40 and 80 mg/kg (p.o.) significantly reduced the immobility time in both of these two tests. These doses that affected the depressive-like behaviors did now show any effect on locomotion counts. The further neurochemical assays suggested that ferulic acid increased monoamine neurotransmitter levels in the brain regions that are relative to mood disorders: the hippocampus and frontal cortex. The increased tend to serotonin and norepinephrine was also found in the hypothalamus after higher dose of ferulic acid treatment. The subsequent study suggested that monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) activity was inhibited in the frontal cortex and hippocampus when treatment with 40 and 80 mg/kg ferulic acid; while MAO-B activity did not change significantly. The current study provides the first lines of evidence that serotonin and norepinephrine, but not dopamine levels were elevated in mouse hippocampus and frontal cortex after ferulic acid treatment. These changes may be attributable to the inhibition of MAO-A activities in the same brain regions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Jiangsu University Affiliated Yixing People's Hospital, Yixing, Jiangsu Province, 214200, China, jianliangchen@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jianliang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Gaowen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Nianping
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lina
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ruan
authors.forename: Qizhi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Jianxin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xuefeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xupei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Cong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Jianchun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D003373:Coumaric Acids / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D007099:Imipramine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007103:Immobilization; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D020912:Moclobemide / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase / Q000032:analysis; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000187:drug effects; D012701:Serotonin / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013550:Swimming
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D003373:Coumaric Acids; D008996:Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors; D012701:Serotonin; C004999:ferulic acid; D008995:Monoamine Oxidase; D007099:Imipramine; D020912:Moclobemide; D009638:Norepinephrine