Abstract
This study aimed to explore the antidepressant mechanisms of ginseng total saponins (GTS) in the corticosterone-induced mouse depression model. In Experiment 1, GTS (50, 25, and 12.5 mg kg−1 d−1, intragastrically) were given for 3 weeks. In Experiment 2, the same doses of GTS were administrated after each corticosterone (20 mg kg−1 d−1, subcutaneously) injection for 22 days. In both experiments, mice underwent a forced swimming test and a tail suspension test on day 20 and day 21, respectively, and were sacrificed on day 22. Results of Experiment 1 revealed that GTS (50 and 25 mg kg−1 d−1) exhibited antidepressant activity and not statistically altered hippocampal protein levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurofilament light chain (NF-L). Results of Experiment 2 showed that GTS (50 and 25 mg kg−1 d−1) ameliorated depression-like behavior without normalizing hypercortisolism. The GTS treatments reversed the corticosterone-induced changes in mRNA levels of BDNF and NF-L, and protein levels of BDNF NF-L, phosphor-cAMP response element-binding protein (Ser133), and phosphor-glycogen synthase kinase-3β (Ser9) in the hippocampus. These findings imply that the effect of GTS on corticosterone-induced depression-like behavior may be mediated partly through interfering with hippocampal GSK-3β-CREB signaling pathway and reversing decrease of some plasticity-related proteins.
Highlights
Ginseng, the root of Panax ginseng C
The one-way ANOVA test revealed a main effect of groups for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) (F4,35 = 4.194, P < 0.01) and neurofilament light chain (NF-L) (F4,35 = 5.662, P < 0.01) protein expression in hippocampus
Multiple comparison tests revealed that BDNF and NF-L protein levels in the hippocampus were not altered statistically after chronic Ginseng total saponins (GTS) treatments but were significantly increased in the FLU group (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, resp., versus control)
Summary
Ginseng and ginsenosides have been shown to have several beneficial functions in the brain, including antidepressant or antistress effects. Our previous studies have shown that the water-based extract of ginseng exhibited protection against the hypercortisolisminduced impairment of hippocampal neurons without reversing the increased plasma corticosterone level [3, 4]. Some researchers reported that acute ginsenoside Rg1 treatment had antidepressant activity, as shown in a forced swimming test (FST) and a tail suspension test (TST) [5]. The antidepressant effects of ginsenosides administrated subacutely to normal mice or chronically to the chronic-mild-stress (CMS-) treated rats were demonstrated in other studies [6, 7]. A study on immobilization-stressed gerbils has indicated the Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine antistress effects of GTS and the ginsenosides Rg3 and Rb1 [8]. Negative antidepressant and antianxiety results of ginseng were reported [9]
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