title: Elevation of synaptic protein is associated with the antidepressant-like effects of ferulic acid in a chronic model of depression.
abstract: Ferulic acid is a hydroxycinnamic acid that widely presents in plant cell wall components. It has been demonstrated that ferulic acid can reverse depressive-like behaviors in both forced swimming test and tail suspension test. However, it is unclear whether chronic ferulic acid treatment can ameliorate the depressive-like behaviors in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Because of the putative relationship between neurotrophic system and antidepressant-like activity, we also investigated the effects of chronic ferulic acid on the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), postsynaptic protein PSD95, presynaptic protein synapsin I in both prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. The results showed that ferulic acid significantly alleviated CUMS-induced depressive-like behaviors in sucrose preference test and forced swimming test. In addition, ferulic acid significantly up-regulated the levels of BDNF, PSD95 and synapsin I in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. The present data indicated that ferulic acid exerted the antidepressant-like effects on behaviors by increasing neurotrophin-related synaptic protein levels in CUMS mice.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan province, PR China.
authors.forename: Ya-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan province, PR China.
authors.forename: Chun-Yue
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan province, PR China.
authors.forename: Ji-Duo
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan province, PR China.
authors.forename: Su-Hui
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, Henan province, PR China. Electronic address: Liyucheng@hactcm.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yu-Cheng
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Engineering, College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, Fujian province, PR China. Electronic address: litao.yi@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Li-Tao
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Yi
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D003373:Coumaric Acids / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D000076122:Disks Large Homolog 4 Protein; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005473:Fluoxetine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005518:Food Preferences; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D051528:Guanylate Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications; D013550:Swimming / Q000523:psychology; D013569:Synapses / Q000378:metabolism*; D016704:Synapsins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D003373:Coumaric Acids; D000076122:Disks Large Homolog 4 Protein; C501447:Dlg4 protein, mouse; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D016704:Synapsins; D005473:Fluoxetine; C004999:ferulic acid; D051528:Guanylate Kinases
keywords: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Chronic unpredictable mild stress; Depression; Ferulic acid; Synaptic protein