Effect of Icariin on Behavior and Monoamine Neurotransmitters in Rats with Depression Induced by Chronic Unpredicted Mild Stress / 中国药学杂志

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anti-depressant effect of icariin (Ica)in rats with depression caused by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) as well as the relevant mechanism. METHODS: The depression-like rat model with chronic unpredicted mild stress was established. Rats were randomly divided into normal control, CUMS model, CUMS+Fluoxetine (10 mg·kg-1) and CUMS + Ica(10, 20, 40 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 Ica. The concentrations of the monoamine neurotransmitters including noradrenaline (NA), dopamine (DA), and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and striatum were measured by HPLC-ECD. 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 normal control group(P<0.01), while immobility time in FST was significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with those in normal control group, the neurotransmitters including NA, DA and 5-HT were significantly decreased (P<0.01) in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and striatum in rats of CUMS. Ica and fluoxetine reversed those changes induced by CUMS. CONCLUSION: Ica improves the depression-like behaviors of rats induced by CUMS, of which the mechanism might be increasing the contents of monoamine neurotransmitters including NA, DA and 5-HT.