Angelica gigas ameliorate depression-like symptoms in rats following chronic corticosterone injection

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Dae-Hyun Hahm²  Hyejung Lee¹  Insop Shim²  Bongjun Sur¹  Bombi Lee¹ 

[1] Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, 26 Kyungheedae-ro, Dongdaemun-gu 130-701, Seoul, Republic of Korea;BK21 PLUS Korean Medicine Science Center, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, South Korea

关键词: Angelica gigas;    Brain-derived neurotrophic factor;    Tyrosine hydroxylase;    Anxiety;    Depression;    Corticosterone;   

Others  :  1216988
DOI  :  10.1186/s12906-015-0746-9

 received in 2015-06-10, accepted in 2015-06-24,  发布年份 2015

【 摘 要 】

Background

Repeated injection of corticosterone (CORT) induces dysregulation in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, resulting in depression. We examined the effects of Angelica gigas extract (AGN) treatment in a rat model of depressive and anxiety-like behaviors, induced by chronic CORT exposure.

Methods

Male rats received 10, 20, or 50 mg/kg AGN (i.p.) 30 min prior to a daily injection of CORT for 21 consecutive days. Activation of the HPA axis in response to the repeated CORT injections was confirmed by measuring serum levels of CORT and the expression of corticotropin-releasing factor in the hypothalamus.

Results

Daily AGN administration significantly reversed the depression and anxiety-like behavioral abnormalities. It also blocked increases in tyrosine hydroxylase expression in the locus coeruleus, and suppressed the decreased expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor TrkB mRNAs in the hippocampus.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that administration of AGN prior to high-dose exogenous CORT significantly improved helpless behaviors, possibly by modulating the central noradrenergic system and regulation of BDNF expression in rats. Thus, AGN may be a useful agent for the treatment or alleviation of psychiatric disorders associated with depression and anxiety disorders.

【 授权许可】

   
2015 Lee et al.

【 图 表 】

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