The ethanolic extract of Aralia continentalis ameliorates cognitive deficits via modifications of BDNF expression and anti-inflammatory effects in a rat model of post-traumatic stress disorder

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Bombi Lee¹  Insop Shim¹  Hyejung Lee¹  Mijung Yeom¹  Dae-Hyun Hahm¹  Ki Sung Kang²  Sanghyun Lee³  Sang Cheon Lee⁴  Riwon Hong⁵  Daeun Cho⁵  Pooreum Lim⁵ 

[1] Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University;College of Korean Medicine, Gachon University;Department of Integrative Plant Science, Chung-Ang University;Imsil Cheese & Food Research Institute;The Graduate School of Basic Science of Korean Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University;

关键词: Aralia continentalis;    Post-traumatic stress disorder;    Memory;    Brain-derived neurotrophic factor;    Pro-inflammatory cytokines;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12906-018-2417-0

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract Background Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disease associated with that the experience of traumatic stress. The traumatic experience results in the development of a prolonged stress response that causes impaired memory function and increased inflammation in the hippocampus. Currently, antidepressants are the only approved therapy for PTSD. However, the efficacy of antidepressants in the treatment of PTSD is marginal. The ethanol extract of Aralia continentalis (AC) is traditionally used in oriental medicine, and has been showed to possess pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-atherosclerotic, and anti-diabetic effects. Nevertheless, the effects of AC on cognitive memory and its mechanism of action in PTSD remain unclear. Given the necessity of further treatment options for PTSD, we investigated the effect of AC on the spatial cognitive impairment caused by single prolonged stress (SPS) in a rat model of PTSD. Methods Male rats were treated with various intraperitoneal (i.p.) doses of AC for 21 consecutive days after inducing chronic stress with the SPS procedure. Results Cognitive impairment caused by SPS were inhibited after treatment with 100 mg/kg AC, as measured by the Morris water maze test and an object recognition test. Additionally, AC treatment significantly alleviated memory-related decreases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA and protein levels in the hippocampus. Our results suggest that AC significantly inhibited the cognitive deficits caused by SPS via increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6, in the rat brain. Conclusions AC reversed the behavioral impairments and inflammation triggered by SPS-derived traumatic stress and should be further evaluated as a potential therapeutic drug for PTSD.

【 授权许可】

Unknown