title: Antidepressant-like effects of quercetin in diabetic rats are independent of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Quercetin, one of the most potent flavonol in the family of flavonoids, has been shown to have benefits against diabetes and its complications. In the present study, we investigated effects of quercetin on depression-like behaviours and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in diabetic rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental diabetes was induced by using streptozotocin, and either 50 or 100 mg/kg quercetin was intraperitoneally administered for 21 days. Following the last treatment, animals were subjected to the forced swim test, and subsequently, the blood was obtained by cardiac puncture to measure plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone (CORT) levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant increase of the total immobile time, accompanied by a decrease in the immobility latency, which suggests a depressive status, was observed in diabetic animals that was reversed by the treatment of 50 mg/kg quercetin. However, the higher dose of quercetin (100 mg/kg) was ineffective in alleviating depression-like behaviours. The plasma concentrations of ACTH, and total- and free-CORT were not affected by both doses of quercetin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Therefore, we concluded that the antidepressant-like effects of quercetin in diabetes are independent of the HPA axis.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine,Mustafa Kemal University,Hatay,Turkey.
authors.forename: Enver Ahmet
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2620-6192
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Demir
authors.affiliation: 2Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine,Selcuk University,Konya,Turkey.
authors.forename: Hasan Serdar
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Gergerlioglu
authors.affiliation: 3School of Health Services,Mevlana (Rumi) University,Konya,Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oz
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D003863:Depression / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000187:drug effects*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000187:drug effects*; D011794:Quercetin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D011794:Quercetin; D003345:Corticosterone
keywords: adrenocorticotropic hormone; corticosterone; depression; experimental diabetes mellitus; quercetin