Anti-Depressant Effects of Schisandrin A on Depression Induced by Chronic Unpredicted Mild Stress in Rats / 中国药学杂志

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anti-depressant effect of schisandrin A in rats with depression caused by chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS)as well as the relevant mechanism. METHODS: The depression-like rat model using CUMS was established. Rats were randomly divided into control, CUMS model, CUMS+fluoxetine (10 mg·kg-1)and CUMS + schisandrin A (25, 50, 100 mg·kg-1)groups. Drugs or vehicle were administrated after stress procedures for 21 d. Open-field test (OFT), sucrose preference tests (SPT)and forced swim test (FST)were used to evaluate the anti-depressant effects of schisandrin A. The reactive oxygen species (ROS)and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) level as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT)activities in hippocampus were determined by ELISA methods. IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-10 expression were measured by real time qPCR and Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Behavioral test indicated that crossing score and rearing score in OFT and sucrose preference index in SPT of model group were significantly lower than control group (P<0.01), while immobility time in FST was significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with those in control group, the ROS and PGE2 level increased significantly (P<0.01), SOD and CAT activities decreased significantly (P< 0.01),the mRNA and protein level of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-10 were increased significantly (P<0.05 or P<0.01)in rats of CUMS. CONCLUSION: Schisandrin A and fluoxetine could ameliorate those changes induced by CUMS. Schisandrin A could improve the depression-like behaviors of rats induced by CUMS, of which the mechanism might involve the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.