title: The Aqueous Fraction of Areca catechu Nut Ameliorates Demyelination in Prefrontal Cortex-Induced Depressive Symptoms and Cognitive Decline through Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor-Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate Response Element-Binding Activation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate if Areca catechu L. treatment could ameliorate depressive symptoms and cognitive decline by facilitating myelination processes in prefrontal cortex.
  
  
  METHODS
  A mouse model of cuprizoneinduced demyelination was used to mimic demyelinating disease. Two concentrations of A. catechu nut extract (ANE; 1% and 2%) were administered orally in the diet for 8 weeks. Depressive symptoms and cognition-associated behaviors were evaluated in tests of locomotor activity, tail suspension, and forced swimming; spatial memory was tested with the Y-maze. Expression of myelin basic protein (MBP), 2',3'-cyclic-nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase (CNPase), glutathione S-transferases pi (GSTpi), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and the transcription factor cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element-binding (CREB) were evaluated by western blot.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Animals subjected to demyelination showed hyperactivity (P<0.01), impaired spatial memory (P<0.01), and depressive behaviors (P<0.05). Internally, they displayed signifificant myelin damage in the cortex, lower expression of CNPase and GSTpi, slightly decreased BDNF (P>0.05), and signifificantly reduced p-CREB (P<0.05). Nevertheless, ANE treatment demonstrated signifificant anti-depressant activity and enhancement of working memory (P<0.05 or 0.01). In addition, ANE treatment increased MBP, CNPase and GSTpi protein expression in prefrontal cortex (P<0.05). Concomitant with increased BDNF production (P<0.05), ANE treatment up-regulated phosphorylated CREB, but without statistical signifificance (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ANE treatment might ameliorate depressive symptoms and cognitive decline by facilitating myelination processes in prefrontal cortex via induction of BDNF-CREB activation.
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Research Laboratory, Xiamen Xianyue Hospital, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361012, China.|Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, 1E7.31 Walter C. Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2B7, Canada.
authors.forename: Abulimiti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adilijiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 0J9, Canada.
authors.forename: Teng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Research Laboratory, Xiamen Xianyue Hospital, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361012, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Zhong
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, 1E7.31 Walter C. Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2B7, Canada.
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hartle
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, 1E7.31 Walter C. Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2B7, Canada.
authors.forename: Yan-Bo
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Research Laboratory, Xiamen Xianyue Hospital, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361012, China. wwq5392616@sina.com.
authors.forename: Wen-Qiang
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, 1E7.31 Walter C. Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2B7, Canada.
authors.forename: Xin-Min
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: Areca catechu nut; brain-derived neurotrophic factor; cognitive decline; cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding; depressive symptoms; prefrontal cortex