title: Possible involvement of L-arginine-nitric oxide (NO)-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling pathway in the antidepressant-like effect of Wuling mycelia powder in rat.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Wuling mycelia powder is the dry powder of rare a fungi Xyla ria sp., Carbon species, with a long history of medicinal use in Chinese medicine. Recently it has shown a powerful antidepressant activity in clinic.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study explores the antidepressant activity of Wuling mycelia powder in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) rats and its possible involvement of l-arginine-nitric oxide (NO)-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling pathway.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experiments were performed in the rat CUMS model. CUMS rats were treated with Wuling mycelia powder (0.5, 1.0 or 2.0 g/kg, i.g.) to test behavioral changes including the sucrose preference, the crossing number and food consumption. Further, L-arginine (substrate for nitric oxide) (750 mg/kg), 7-nitroindazole (a specific neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitor) (25 mg/kg), sildenafil (phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor) (5 mg/kg) and methylene blue (direct inhibitor of both nitric oxide synthase and soluble guanylate cyclase) (10 mg/kg) were treated for 60 min before each test to detect the possible mechanism of antidepressant-like effect of Wuling mycelia powder.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 4 weeks of administration, both 1.0 or 2.0 g/kg Wuling mycelia powder suppressed the behavioral changes including the sucrose preference [F(3, 31)=50.87, p<0.001], the crossing number [F(3, 31)=68.98, p<0.05], and food consumption [F(3, 31)=19.04, p<0.05] in the CUMS rats. The antidepressant-like effect of Wuling mycelia powder was prevented by pretreatment with l-arginine and sildenafil. Pretreatment of rats with 7-nitroindazole and methylene blue potentiated the effect of Wulin mycelia powder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings demonstrate that Wuling mycelia powder has an antidepressant-like effect in the CUMS rats, and possible involvement of L-arginine-nitric oxide-cyclic GMP signaling pathway in its antidepressant effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China.
authors.forename: Yun-Fei
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China.
authors.forename: Zheng-Luan
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China.
authors.forename: Ya-Ju
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China.
authors.forename: Jun-Peng
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China. Electronic address: yuenyan@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: En-Yan
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001120:Arginine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006152:Cyclic GMP / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005518:Food Preferences; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D007191:Indazoles / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D008751:Methylene Blue / Q000737:chemistry; D025282:Mycelium / Q000737:chemistry*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D011208:Powders; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate / Q000737:chemistry; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000188:drug therapy; D013395:Sucrose
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D007191:Indazoles; D011208:Powders; C533472:wuling; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D013395:Sucrose; D001120:Arginine; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D006152:Cyclic GMP; D008751:Methylene Blue; C080122:7-nitroindazole
keywords: 7-Nitroindazole; Methylene; Sildenafil