title: Effects of Ginseng Fruit Saponins on Serotonin System in Sprague-Dawley Rats with Myocardial Infarction, Depression, and Myocardial Infarction Complicated with Depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Our previous studies have demonstrated that the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 5-HT 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) in serum and platelet were associated with depression and myocardial infarction (MI), and pretreatment with ginseng fruit saponins (GFS) before MI and depression had an effect on the 5-HT system. In this study, the effects of GFS on the 5-HT system in the Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats with MI, depression, and MI + depression were evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of eighty SD rats were allocated to four groups: MI, depression, MI + depression, and control groups (n = 20 in each group). Each group included two subgroups (n = 10 in each subgroup): Saline treatment subgroup and GFS treatment subgroup. The levels of 5-HT, 5-HT2AR, and serotonin transporter (SERT) were quantified in serum, platelet lysate, and brain tissue through the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with those in the saline treatment subgroups, the levels of 5-HT in serum and platelet lysate statistically significantly increased in the GFS treatment subgroups of MI, depression, and MI + depression groups (serum: all P = 0.000; platelet lysate: P = 0.002, 0.000, 0.000, respectively). However, the 5-HT levels in brain homogenate significantly decreased in the GFS treatment subgroups compared with those in the saline treatment subgroups in MI and depression groups (P = 0.025 and 0.044 respectively), and no significant difference was observed between saline and GFS treatment subgroups in MI + depression group (P = 0.663). Compared with that in GFS treatment subgroup of control group, the 5-HT2AR levels in the platelet lysate significantly decreased in GFS treatment subgroups of MI, depression, and MI + depression groups (all P = 0.000). Compared to those in the saline treatment subgroups, the serum SERT levels significantly decreased in the GFS treatment subgroups in MI, depression, and MI + depression groups (P = 0.009, 0.038, and P = 0.001, respectively), while the SERT levels of platelet lysate significantly decreased in GFS treatment subgroup of MI group (P = 0.000), significantly increased in GFS treatment subgroup of depression group (P = 0.019), and slightly changed in GFS treatment subgroup of MI + depression group (P = 0.219). No significant changes for SERT levels in brain homogenate could be found between the saline and GFS treatment subgroups in MI, depression, and MI + depression groups (P = 0.421, 0.076 and P = 0.642).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicated that GFS might inhibit the reuptake of 5-HT from serum to platelet according to decreased 5-HT2AR in platelet and SERT in serum and platelet. The change of 5-HT in serum after GFS treatment was inconsistent with that in the brain. It seemed that GFS could not pass through the blood-brain barrier to affect the central serotonergic system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing 100029, China.
authors.forename: Dong-Fang
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Geriatric-cardiovascular Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, X'ian, Shaanxi 710061, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing 100029, China.
authors.forename: Mei-Yan
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005894:Panax / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D044403:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2B / Q000378:metabolism; D012503:Saponins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D044403:Receptor, Serotonin, 5-HT2B; D012503:Saponins; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; C493232:Slc6a4 protein, rat; D012701:Serotonin