Anxiolytic Effects of Acanthopanax senticosus HARMS Occur via Regulation of Autonomic Function and Activate Hippocampal BDNF⁻TrkB Signaling.

Shouhei Miyazaki,Masako Hoshizaki,Takahiko Fujikawa,Hirotaka Oikawa,Hideo Takekoshi,Masato Ogata

doi:10.3390/molecules24010132

Shouhei Miyazaki, Masako Hoshizaki + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24010132

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Abstract

Mental stress, such as anxiety and conflict, causes physiological changes, such as changes in autonomic nervous activity and gastric ulcers. In addition, stress induces glucocorticoids and changes the hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression levels. We previously reported that Acanthopanax senticosus HARM (ASH) prevents stress-induced gastric ulcers. Thus, we investigated the potential anxiolytic effect and influence of ASH on the hippocampus BDNF-related protein in male Sprague-Dawley rats fed 1% and 5% ASH extract-containing food for one week using novelty suppressed feeding (NSF) and improved elevated beam walking (IEBW) tests. ASH treatment significantly decreased latency to eat in the NSF test and increased the time spent on the open arm in the IEBW test. ASH5% treatment showed a significant decrease in LFnu, indicative of sympathetic nervous activity, and a significant increase in HFnu, indicative of parasympathetic nervous activity, in the NSF test. In addition, ASH1% and ASH5% treatments significantly decreased LFnu and significantly increased HFnu in the IEBW test. ASH5% treatment significantly increased hippocampal BDNF protein expression in both Western blotting and immunohistochemistry experiments. Our findings suggest that anxiolytic effects of ASH occur via the regulation of autonomic function and increased hippocampal BDNF signaling.

Highlights

Acanthopanax senticosus HARMS (ASH) is a deciduous shrub and a member of the Araliaceae family that grows abundantly in various regions of Russia, China, Korea, Southeast Asia, and northJapan
In rats housed under home cage (HC) housing conditions, we found no differences in the latency time to start eating 1% and 5% ASH extract-containing feed in the ASH1% and ASH5%
Our results revealed that when ASH5% is administered to rats under improved elevated beam walking (IEBW) conditions, the protein expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the rat hippocampus significantly increase and the phosphorylation of tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB), and cAMP response element binding protein (CREB) significantly increases

Summary

Introduction

Acanthopanax senticosus HARMS (ASH) is a deciduous shrub and a member of the Araliaceae family that grows abundantly in various regions of Russia, China, Korea, Southeast Asia, and north. In China, ASH root bark is traditionally used to treat high blood pressure, mental disorders, and rheumatoid arthralgia [1,2,3,4]. In Western countries, ASH is widely used as an alternative medicine. A recent study was conducted on the importance of ASH root and stem barks, as well as ASH fruit and leaf. The ASH fruit improves insulin resistance and hepatic lipid accumulation [5].

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