Beneficial effects of lycium barbarum seed oil on chronically stressed mice / 中国药理学通报

ABSTRACT

Aim To investigate the protective effect of Lycium barbarum seed oil (I,BSO) on chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) induced depressant-like behavior and cognitive dysfunction in mice and its mechanism. Methods Constituent analysis of the fatty acids in LBSO was performed by methyl esterification plus GC-MS. Mice chronically stressed model was developed by CUS fur 28 consecutive days in a solitary condition. Mice were randomly divided into normal control group,model group,fluoxetine plus CUS group (Fix,20 mg • kg"1 ) ,high - , middle - and low - doses of LBSO ( 10. 0, 5. 0, 2. 5 niL • kg"1) plus CUS groups. The depressive symptoms were evaluated by open-field test (OFT), tail suspension test (TST) and forced- swimming test (FST) ; the learning and memory functions were tested by Morris water maze test (MWMT). Serum corticosterone level was assessed by ELISA. The protein expressions of BDNF, CKEB and p-CREB in mouse hippocampus were determined by Western blot. Results Five components were isolated from LBSO samples,which were identified to be (Z)-9-octadece- noic acid ( 66.40%), 9, 12-octadecadienoic acid (21. 56% ), heptadecanoic acid ( 5. 82% ), octade- canoic acid ( 3.05%) and 9-octadeccnoic acid (1.92%). Compared with model group, LBSO could reduce the serum corticosterone level, improve OFT campaign scoring, reduce the immobility time in TST and FST,decrease the escape latency and the traveled distance in learning procedure in MWMT.and also increase the frequency to enter the target zone in Probe Trials in MWMT. In addition, LBSO significantly increased the expression of BDNF and p-CREB/CREB ratio in hippocampus in CUS mice. Conclusions LBSO could remarkably ameliorate the depressant-like behavior and cognitive dysfunction in chronically stressed mice,which may be due to its ability to reduce the serum corticosterone level and promote CREB-BDNF signaling pathway related protein expression in hippocampus.