Abstract
The antidepressant-like effect of trans-astaxanthin, a compound present rich in algae, was evaluated through behavioral and neurochemical methods. Results showed that trans-astaxanthin treatment significantly decreased the immobility time in force swim test and tail suspension test, but did not influence locomotor activity. Trans-astaxanthin treatment did not effectively antagonize hypothermia and ptosis induced by reserpine. However, pre-treatment with para-chlorophenylalanine abolished the anti-immobility effect of trans-astaxanthin in force swim and tail suspension test. These results suggested that the mechanism of antidepressant-like effect of trans-astaxanthin may involve the serotonergic system, but not noradrenaline system. This hypothesis was confirmed by neurochemical assays which showed that trans-astaxanthin increased serotonin levels in the hippocampus, frontal cortex, striatum and hypothalamus. Furthermore, our data suggested that trans-astaxanthin decreased indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase activity in the hippocampus, frontal cortex and hypothalamus. Inhibition of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase activity subsequently decreased the kynurenine/tryptophan ratio and increased the serotonin/tryptophan ratio in these brain regions. Taken together, these findings indicate that the antidepressant-like effect of trans-astaxanthin involves the serotonergic system.
Highlights
Depression is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children and adolescents [1]
As monoamine plays a critical factor in the pathophysiology and therapy of depression, we aimed to reveal the underlying mechanism of antidepressant-like effects of trans-astaxanthin related to monoamine system in this study
We demonstrated that trans-astaxanthin was consistently effective when evaluated in two behavioral tests, and this antidepressant-like effect was accompanied by the restoration of acute stress induced alterations in brain monoamine transmitters, including serotonin and noradrenaline
Summary
Depression is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children and adolescents [1]. Trans-astaxanthin, a red carotenoid pigment, is rich in algae, plants and a limited number of fungi and bacteria It is endowed with a variety of pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity [4,5,6]. Compared with other herbal medicines, transastaxanthin has its advantage in locating either inside the phospholipid membrane or at the membrane surface [7] and crossing the blood-brain barrier in rodents [8]. Base on this advantage, the neuroprotective effects of trans-astaxanthin have been confirmed in several neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease [9,10,11]. The effect of trans-astaxanthin on stress-related depression and the underlying mechanism remain unclear
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