Abstract
Gastrodiae Rhizoma is a highly valuable traditional herbal medicine commonly used to treat neurological disorders. The present study is designed to determine the antidepressant-like effect of the Gastrodiae Rhizoma water extract (GRWE) on a depression model and the potential mechanisms. The chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) rat model was used to induce depression. The sucrose preference test, open field test, forced swimming test, and tail suspension test were performed to assess the depressive-like behaviors, respectively. Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) function was measured via plasma corticosterone (CORT), adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) concentrations. Plasma concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines including interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were also evaluated. The results showed that GRWE significantly attenuates the behavioral abnormalities in CUMS rats, as shown by elevated sucrose consumption, raised locomotor activity, and reduced immobility duration. Moreover, GRWE treatment reduced CORT, ACTH, CRF, and GR levels and decreased the plasma IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α concentrations. These findings indicate that GRWE improves depressive behaviors in a chronic stress model of rats; its effect may be ascribed to the modulation of the HPA axis activity and inflammatory response.
Highlights
Depression, a highly debilitating, life-threatening psychiatric disorder, is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide
After chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) procedure for 4 weeks, the sucrose preference of CUMS groups notably reduced in comparison with the control group
All GRWEtreated groups exhibited a remarkable rise in sucrose preference compared with the CUMS group
Summary
Depression, a highly debilitating, life-threatening psychiatric disorder, is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. The mechanism of depression is complicated, and current antidepressant drugs mainly include monoamine oxidase inhibitors (both reversible and nonreversible), tricyclic and tetracyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors [2]. These antidepressants are not universally effective, and many of them result in undesirable adverse effects, such as sleep disturbance, cognitive impairments, urinary retention, and sexual dysfunction, leading to poor therapeutic compliance [3]. Antidepressants may alleviate the depressive-like behavior by regulating the HPA activity and inflammatory mediators. Whether the underlying mechanisms contributing to the beneficial effects of GRWE are related to the complex balance between the HPA axis and the inflammatory response is investigated
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