title: Antidepressant-like effects of ginsenoside Rg5 in mice: Involving of hippocampus BDNF signaling pathway.
abstract: Ginsenoside Rg5 is one of the major bioactive ingredients of Panax ginseng with little toxicity and has been shown to have pharmacological effects on the central nervous system. In this study, we investigated the antidepressant effects of Rg5 in mice models of depression. The effects of Rg5 were first assessed in the forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST), and then investigated in the chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) model of depression. The changes in hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling pathway after CSDS and Rg5 treatment were also examined. The tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor and tyrosine kinase B inhibitor were used to explore the antidepressant mechanisms of Rg5. It was found that Rg5 exhibited antidepressant-like activities in the FST and TST without affecting locomotor activity. Rg5 was also effective in the CSDS model of depression, and restored the CSDS-induced decrease in hippocampal BDNF signaling cascade. Moreover, the usage of the tyrosine kinase B inhibitor blocked the antidepressant effects of Rg5, while the tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor did not. Collectively, ginsenoside Rg5 has antidepressant activities via the activation of hippocampal BDNF system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Dawei
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Basic Medical Research Centre, Medical College, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chengniu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shengfeng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: czm_nt1y@163.com.
authors.forename: Zhiming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cui
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D004291:Dominance-Subordination; D036145:Ginsenosides / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D036145:Ginsenosides; C572381:ginsenoside Rg5
keywords: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Chronic social defeat stress; Depression; Ginsenoside Rg5