Abstract
BackgroundPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an extreme mood disorder that occurs after experiencing extreme stress, and patients with this disorder are known to accompany with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and memory impairments. Silibinin (SIL) is a natural polyphenolic flavonoid and is the main active ingredient of silymarin, which is primarily extracted from the milk thistle. Although some studies have assessed the properties of this flavonoid, the potential of SIL as a treatment for PTSD patients and its mechanisms of action have yet to be fully elucidated.MethodsAfter exposure to a model of single prolonged stress (SPS), the open field test (OFT) and forced swimming test (FST), were used to investigate the effects of SIL on anxiety- and depression-like symptoms in male rats. The rats received of SIL (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg) for 14 days following exposure to SPS.ResultsAdministration of SIL significantly improved anxiety-like behaviors in the OFT, depression-like behaviors in the FST, and freezing behavior in fear conditioning test. SIL also increased levels of serotonin in the hippocampus (Hipp) and amygdala, and enhanced expression of tryptophan hydroxylase-1 mRNA in the Hipp. The administration of SIL also inhibited SPS-induced decreases dopamine levels and increases norepinephrine levels in the Hipp.ConclusionsTaken together, the present findings suggest that SIL can be a useful therapeutic ingredient for the treatment of trauma stress-associated symptoms, including PTSD-induced anxiety and depression caused by PTSD.
Highlights
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an extreme mood disorder that occurs after experiencing extreme stress, and patients with this disorder are known to accompany with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and memory impairments
In some of the rats, there was a gradual gain in body weight but in some cases the weight did not return to the normal body weight (Fig. 3a)
The present results show that single prolonged stress (SPS) increased the immobility time of rats in the forced swimming test (FST), which is indicative of depression-like behavior
Summary
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an extreme mood disorder that occurs after experiencing extreme stress, and patients with this disorder are known to accompany with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and memory impairments. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious mental illness that manifests as a psychological reaction following the experience of a life-threatening situation and intense stress [1]. Mice that experience PTSD like symptoms following repeated exposure to traumatic events exhibit the overgeneralization of fear in an environmental context. These changes may be due to imbalances in monoamine levels within certain regions of the neural fear circuit, such as the hippocampus (Hipp), Amg, and prefrontal cortex (PFC) [4]. Dysregulation within the HPA axis, stress-induced cellular damage, and neuronal remodeling contribute to the occurrence of PTSD [6] and cause alterations in mental behaviors that are expressive of anxietyand depression-like symptoms [6]
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