Efficacy and Safety of Banxia Formulae for Insomnia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of High-Quality Randomized Controlled Trials.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of Banxia (Pinellia Tuber) formulae in the treatment of insomnia compared with those of conventional western medicines. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the efficacy and safety of Banxia formulae in the treatment of insomnia were searched from the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journals Database (VIP), and Wanfang database. The literature collected was from the time when the databases were established to April 2020. Quality assessment and meta-analysis were conducted by using Cochrane bias risk assessment tool and RevMan 5.2, respectively. Publication bias was assessed by Egger's test. RESULTS: Fourteen RCTs with 910 participants were identified. A total of 46 traditional Chinese medicines involving 2 different dosage forms were used in the included studies. Meta-analysis indicated that Banxia formulae had more significant effects on improving the total effective rate (RR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.31), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI, MD = -1.05, 95% CI -1.63 to -0.47), and the TCM syndrome score (SMD = -0.78, 95% CI -1.18 to -0.39). Meanwhile, on reducing adverse events, Banxia formulae also showed an advantage (RR = 0.48, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.93). CONCLUSION: According to the current studies, the efficacy of Banxia formulae in the treatment of insomnia is better than that of the conventional western medicines, and its safety is relatively stable. However, due to the limitations of this study, further research and evaluation are needed.

[Application of 3S Techniques to Regional Survey of Chinese Materia Medica Resources].

Objective: To explore the application of 3S techniques to regional survey of Chinese materia medica resources, in order to provide technical reference for the fourth national survey of Chinese materia medica resources. Methods: Based on remote sensing technology, satellite positioning technology and GIS technology, GPS position indicator, SLR camera and related software such as Google Earth, HOLUX ez Tour for Logger and XTTools were used to establish the application model of 3S techniques for the regional survey of Chinese materia medica resources. Results: The application model established in field survey performed well in pathway expedition and sample plot survey. It also matched the digital images of Chinese herbs with their geographic information efficiently and did statistical analysis effectively on survey result. Conclusion: It is suggested that the application of 3S techniques to regional survey of Chinese meteria medica resources is beneficial to improve efficiency of the survey and obtain more accurate geographic information for sharing and dynamic monitoring.

Neuroprotective effects of salidroside on focal cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury involve the nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 pathway.

Salidroside, the main active ingredient extracted from Rhodiola crenulata, has been shown to be neuroprotective in ischemic cerebral injury, but the underlying mechanism for this neuroprotection is poorly understood. In the current study, the neuroprotective effect of salidroside on cerebral ischemia-induced oxidative stress and the role of the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway was investigated in a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion. Salidroside (30 mg/kg) reduced infarct size, improved neurological function and histological changes, increased activity of superoxide dismutase and glutathione-S-transferase, and reduced malon-dialdehyde levels after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion. Furthermore, salidroside apparently increased Nrf2 and heme oxygenase-1 expression. These results suggest that salidroside exerts its neuroprotective effect against cerebral ischemia through anti-oxidant mechanisms and that activation of the Nrf2 pathway is involved. The Nrf2/antioxidant response element pathway may become a new therapeutic target for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Hypoxia-induced up-regulation of aquaporin-1 protein in prostate cancer cells in a p38-dependent manner.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Aquaporin-1 (AQP1) is a glycoprotein that mediates osmotic water transport, its expression has been found to correlate with tumour stage in some tumours. However, the mechanism by which AQP1 protein expression is regulated in tumor cells remains to be fully elucidated. We hypothesized that hypoxia might play an important role in AQP1 induction during tumorigenesis and at the late stages of tumor development. METHODS: Isotonic and serum-free hypoxic models were used to investigate AQP1 expression in PC-3M human prostate cancer cells. RESULTS: AQP1 expression was up-regulated by density-induced pericellular hypoxia and cobalt(II) chloride (CoCl(2))-induced hypoxia at the transcriptional level. Moreover, phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) was induced by density-induced pericellular hypoxia and CoCl(2)-induced hypoxia, specific inhibitors of p38 MAPK could concentration-dependently block those effects of hypoxia on AQP1 expression. Intracellular calcium ion (Ca(2+)) and protein kinase C (PKC) were shown to be responsible for the activation of p38 MAPK pathway. In addition, AQP1 induction in dense cultures was dependent on lowered oxygen (O(2)) tension. In high cell density culture, certain secretory proteins might induce AQP1 expression indirectly. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that AQP1 could be induced by hypoxia at transcription level, and the regulation of AQP1 in PC-3M cells is dependent on calcium, PKC and p38 MAPK, as well as low oxygen tension.

Salvianolic acid B protects human endothelial cells from oxidative stress damage: a possible protective role of glucose-regulated protein 78 induction.

AIMS: The purposes of the present study were to both evaluate the protective effects of Salvianolic acid B (Sal B) and to determine the possible molecular mechanisms by which Sal B protects endothelial cells from damage caused by oxidative stress. METHODS AND RESULTS: Pretreatment with Sal B markedly attenuated H(2)O(2)-induced viability loss, lactate dehydrogenase leakage and apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The mechanism of Sal B protection was studied using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with hybrid quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Database searching implicated that glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), a central regulator for endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, was up-regulated in Sal B-exposed HUVECs. GRP78 expression regulation was confirmed by western blot and RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) analyses. Additionally, GRP94, which shares significant sequence homology with GRP78, was also up-regulated in Sal B-treated cells. Sal B caused pancreatic ER kinase (PKR)-like ER kinase (PERK) activation followed by the phosphorylation of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2 alpha) and the expression of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4). Knockdown of endogenous ATF4 expression partially repressed Sal B-induced GRP78 induction. Further investigation showed that ATF6 was also activated by Sal B. Knockdown of GRP78 by siRNA significantly reduced the protective effects of Sal B. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that Sal B induces the expression of GRP78 by activating ATF6 and the PERK-eIF2 alpha-ATF4 pathway. Furthermore, up-regulation of GRP78 by Sal B may play an important role in protecting human endothelial cells from oxidative stress-induced cellular damage.

[Toxicity of cationic liposome Lipofectamine 2000 in human pancreatic cancer Capan-2 cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the toxicity of cationic liposome Lipofectamine 2000 (Lipo) in human pancreatic cancer Capan-2 cells. METHODS: Capan-2 cells were cultured in the presence of Lipo at toxic concentrations, and the cell growth, apoptosis and cell cycle changes were evaluated by cell counting and flow cytometry. RESULTS: The concentrations of both Lipo and siRNA affected the transfection efficiency. In a transfection volume of 2 ml, the presence of 5 microl Lipo resulted in slowed growth of Capan-2 cells, which was especially obvious after 3 days (P<0.001). Prolonged culture of the transfected cells caused significant increases in early apoptotic cells (P<0.05) and in the damaged or necrotic cells (P<0.001), and resulted in reduced viable cells (P<0.01); these changes became obvious after a 48-hour culture, which also increased the ratio of G(0)/G(1) phase cells (P<0.05) and decreased those of G(2)/M phase cells (P<0.01), S phase cells (P<0.01), and the late apoptotic cells (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Toxic concentrations of Lipo can affect the growth, apoptosis and cell cycles of Capan-2 cells in vitro, and this urges careful concentration selection when using Lipo for gene transfer into different cells.

Epinephrine increases phosphorylation of MAP-2c in rat pheochromocytoma cells (PC12 Cells) via a protein kinase C- and mitogen activated protein kinase-dependent mechanism.

Adrenoceptors mediate effects of endogenous catecholamines and have been shown to affect the neuronal development. Microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2) is an important cytoskeleton protein whose phosphorylation in response to extracellular signal is involved in the regulation of neurite outgrowth and neuronal plasticity. The present study was designed to determine the effect of activation of adrenoceptor by epinephrine on MAP-2 phosphorylation in differentiation PC12 cells and, if so, to explore the mediating mechanism. We found that epinephrine could significantly increase the phosphorylation of MAP-2c at ser136 in a dose- and time-dependent manner in differentiated PC12 cells as well as microtubule arrays. Differentiated PC12 cells express alpha 2A-adrenoceptor, whose antagonists could block these mentioned effects of epinephrine, and clonidine which is the agonist of alpha 2-adrenoceptor could mimic the effect of epinephrine. Moreover phosphorylation of ERK and PKC was induced by epinephrine, and ERK and PKC specific inhibitors concentration-dependently prevented epinephrine-induced phosphorylation of MAP-2c at ser136. In addition, pretreatment of PC12 cells with epinephrine partly inhibited 30 microM nocodazole induced neurites retraction. These findings suggest that epinephrine induces phosphorylation of MAP-2c at ser136 through a alpha 2-adrenoceptor mediated, ERK/PKC-dependent signaling pathway, which may contribute to the stabilization of neurites.

Down-regulation of brain-pancreas relative protein in diabetic rats and by high glucose in PC12 cells: prevention by calpain inhibitors.

Brain-pancreas relative protein (BPRP) is a novel protein that we found in our laboratory. Previously we demonstrated that it is involved in ischemia and depression. In light of the putative association between diabetes and clinical depression, and the selective expression of BPRP in brain and pancreas, the present study examined whether BPRP levels are affected by induction of diabetes by alloxan injection in rats and exposure to high glucose levels in PC12 cells. Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses revealed that BPRP levels were decreased in the hippocampal CA1 neurons of diabetic rats 4 and 8 weeks post-alloxan injection and in PC12 cells 48 h after exposure to high concentrations of glucose. BPRP protein levels were not affected by osmolarity control treatments with mannitol. Follow-up pharmacological experiments in PC12 cells revealed that glucose-induced BPRP down-regulation was markedly attenuated by the calpain inhibitors N-acetyl-Leu-Leu-norleucinal (ALLN) or calpeptin, but not the proteasome-specific inhibitor carbobenzoxy-Leu-Leu-leucinal (MG132). The ability of calpain inhibitors to specifically counter the effects of high glucose exposure on BPRP levels further suggests that BPRP and calpain activity may contribute to diabetes complications in the central nervous system.

Detection, characterization and identification of phenolic acids in Danshen using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

By using HPLC-diode array detection-electrospray ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS(n)) in negative ion mode, we have analyzed the fragmentation pathways of 11 phenolic acids which were isolated from Danshen. Then the extract of Danshen was analyzed, and a total of 42 phenolic acids, including sixteen new minor constituents, were identified or tentatively identified for the first time. A new solid-phase extraction (SPE) method, new HPLC separation method, new liquid chromatography (LC)-MS and LC-MS(n) (n=3-5) data and proposed fragmentation pathways, LC retention time for phenolic acids are reported.

Oxidative stress mediates CoCl(2)-induced prostate tumour cell adhesion: role of protein kinase C and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase.

Cobalt chloride (CoCl(2)), an agent demonstrated to stabilize hypoxia-inducible factor-1, has been associated with various hypoxic responses, and recently, some reports have linked it to increasing tumour malignancy. In this study, we observed the alteration of cell adhesion after CoCl(2) treatment and analysed the potential mechanisms responsible for such adaptations in a prostate cancer cell line PC-3 M cell. We found that CoCl(2 )increased the tumour cell adhesion in a dose-dependent manner, which correlated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. When cells were incubated with the thiol reductive agent pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), both the ROS generation and the CoCl(2)-induced cell adhesion were abolished. Moreover, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) was activated in CoCl(2)-treated cells, which could be antagonized by PDTC. And when cells were pre-incubated with specific p38 MAPK inhibitor, SB203580, the cell adhesion induced by CoCl(2 )was diminished. Moreover, the protein kinase C could up-regulate cell adhesion through activating p38 MAPK. In conclusion, CoCl(2) induced ROS generation, thereby placing cells under oxidative stress and up-regulating cell adhesion; p38 MAPK and protein kinase C could be activated in a ROS-dependent fashion, which in turn contributed to cell adhesion induced by CoCl(2).

Reduction in the in vitro expression of Brain-Pancreas Relative Protein by oxygen and glucose-deprivation.

Brain-Pancreas Relative Protein (BPRP) is a novel protein found in our laboratory. In previous study we observed a significant reduction in BPRP in ischemic brain of rat. Here we undertook this study to explore the possible mediating mechanism by which oxygen and glucose-deprivation culture (OGD), a model of ischemia in vitro, decreased the expression of BPRP in PC12 cells. BPRP was found to be expressed in PC12 cells and OGD caused a significant reduction in BPRP expression. The effect of OGD was primarily mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) because OGD upregulated the production of ROS and the inhibitors of protein kinase C, calmodulin, free radical scavengers reduced OGD-induced ROS production, while increased the expression of BPRP in PC12 cells. These data indicate that OGD decreases the expression of BPRP via enhanced formation of intracellular ROS.

Development of the fingerprints for the quality of the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza and its related preparations by HPLC-DAD and LC-MS(n).

High-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) fingerprints were developed for identification of both lipophilic and hydrophilic components of the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza and four related preparations. These samples were separated with an Agilent Zorbax Extend C(18) reserved-phase column (5 microm, 250 mm x 4.6 mm) by linear gradient elution using water-phosphoric acid (100:0.026, v/v) and acetonitrile as mobile phase. The flow rate was 0.8 ml/min and the detector wavelength was set at 280 nm. Mean chromatograms and correlation coefficients of samples were calculated by the software "Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of TCM". The correlation coefficients of Danshen and Fufang Danshen tablets (FDT) samples were in the range of 0.352-0.993 and 0.768-0.987, respectively. The correlation coefficients of Compound Danshen dripping pills (CDDP), Danshen injection (DSI) and Xiangdan injection (XDI) samples were higher than 0.928, 0.850 and 0.960, respectively. It was the first time to identify 34 peaks by comparing with standard compounds and using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS(n)) technique. All results indicated that the developed fingerprint assay could be readily utilized as a quality control method for S. miltiorrhiza and its related preparations.

[A randomized and case-control clinical study on trimebutine maleate in treating functional dyspepsia coexisting with diarrhea-dominant irritable bowel syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the efficacy and adverse drug reaction of trimebutine maleate in treating patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) coexisting with diarrhea dominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D). METHODS: 129 patients were enrolled in this randomized, case-control and prospective study and divided into 3 groups. Group A was treated with trimebutine maleate and bacillus licheniformis, Group B with trimebutine maleate and Group C with bacillus licheniformis. The symptoms of the patients were described with grading score and efficacy of treatment assessed according to the changes of grading score of symptoms. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in the scores of postprandial fullness (4.55 +/- 0.85, 1.26 +/- 0.52; 4.36 +/- 0.66, 1.48 +/- 0.61), early satiation (4.05 +/- 0.96, 1.01 +/- 0.51; 3.89 +/- 0.81, 1.25 +/- 0.76), abdominal pain (9.26 +/- 0.68, 0.68 +/- 0.43; 9.57 +/- 1.60, 0.76 +/- 0.54) and total symptom score (20.00 +/- 1.25, 3.06 +/- 0.91; 19.05 +/- 2.28, 3.89 +/- 2.12) before and after treatment in Group A and B (P < 0.05), but there was no such significance in Group C (P > 0.05). There was a significant decrease in diarrhea score before and after treatment in the 3 groups (A: 4.78 +/- 0.76, 0.65 +/- 0.53; B: 4.13 +/- 0.65, 1.25 +/- 0.62; C: 4.65 +/- 0.88, 1.45 +/- 0.70) (P < 0.05). After treatment for 4 weeks, there was significant difference in the scores of postprandial fullness, early satiation, abdominal pain and total symptom score as well as the effective rate of every symptom and total effective rate between Group A or B and Group C (P < 0.05). The ratio of cost and effect was 4.07, 1.19 and 6.65 in Group A, B and C respectively, the Group B being the best. The rate of adverse drug reaction was 22.9% and 23.7% in Group A and B, and the main adverse drug reactions were mild thirst and constipation. CONCLUSIONS: In treating patients with functional dyspepsia coexisting with diarrhea dominant irritable bowel syndrome, trimebutine maleate has the advantage of high efficacy, low cost and few adverse reactions.

Effects of glucose, insulin, and supernatant from pancreatic beta-cells on brain-pancreas relative protein in rat hippocampus.

Brain-pancreas relative protein (BPRP) is a novel protein that mainly expresses in brain and pancreas. In our previous study, we found that various stressors significantly decreased the expression of BPRP in pancreas in vivo, accompanied by changes in insulin and glucose levels, and that expression of BPRP in pancreas also decreased significantly in diabetic rats induced by Streptozocin (STZ). All these findings suggest that BPRP may be a glucose or insulin-sensitive protein. However, how the changes in insulin or glucose levels influence the expression of BPRP in hippocampus requires further study. Here, we investigated the effects of insulin or glucose on the expression of BPRP in primary cultured hippocampal neurons. We supplied hippocampal neurons with glucose, insulin, or supernatant from pancreatic beta-cells, which secrete insulin into the supernatant. Our data showed that insulin had beneficial effect on the viability while no significant effect on the expression of BPRP in hippocampal neurons. On the contrary, 40 mM glucose or free glucose culture significantly decreased the expression of BPRP, while had no significant effect on the viability and apoptosis of hippocampal neurons. Further study showed that levels of insulin in the supernatant collected from pancreatic beta-cells medium changed over days, and that supernatant increased the viability of hippocampal neurons, while it had no obvious effect on the expression of BPRP in hippocampal neurons. These results suggest that BPRP may be a glucose-sensitive protein.

Salvianolic acid B, an antioxidant from Salvia miltiorrhiza, prevents Abeta(25-35)-induced reduction in BPRP in PC12 cells.

Several lines of evidence support that beta-amyloid (Abeta)-induced neurotoxicity is mediated through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and elevation of intracellular calcium. Salvianolic acid B (Sal B), the major and most active anti-oxidant from Salvia miltiorrhiza, protects diverse kinds of cells from damage caused by a variety of toxic stimuli. In the present study, we investigated the effects of Sal B against beta-amyloid peptide 25-35 (Abeta(25-35))-induced neurotoxicity, focused mainly on the neurotoxic effects of Abeta(25-35) and the neuroprotective effects of Sal B on the expression of brain-pancreas relative protein (BPRP), which is a new protein and mainly expressed in brain and pancreas. Following exposure of PC12 cells to 20 microM Abeta(25-35), a marked reduction in the expression of BPRP was observed, accompanied with decreased cell viability and increased cell apoptosis, as well as increased ROS production and calcium influx. Treatment of the PC12 cells with Sal B significantly reversed the expression of BPRP and cell viability while it decreased ROS production and intracellular calcium. These data indicate that Abeta(25-35) decreases the expression of BPRP via enhanced formation of intracellular ROS and increased intracellular calcium, and that Sal B, as an anti-oxidant, protects against Abeta(25-35)-induced reduction in expression of BPRP through its effects on suppressing the production of ROS, calcium flux, and apoptosis. However, the role(s) of BPRP in AD and the definite mechanisms by which Sal B protects against Abeta(25-35)-induced reduction in the expression of BPRP require further study.

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of tanshinones in the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza and related traditional chinese medicinal preparations.

PURPOSE: This paper describes a validated high-performance liquid chromatographic method to quantitate four tanshinones as markers; dihydrotanshinone I, cryptotanshinone, tanshinone I and tanshinone IIA for use in the quality control of the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza and its related traditional Chinese medicinal preparations. METHODS: Separation was achieved using a Zorbax Extend C18 reserved-phase column (5microm, 250*4.6mm) at 20 degrees with a gradient mixture of deionized water and acetonitrile at a flow rate of 1.2ml/min. RESULT: The limits of quantitation were 0.13, 0.08, 0.06 and 0.05microg/ml for dihydrotanshinone I, cryptotanshinone, tanshinone I and tanshinone IIA, respectively. This method provided good reproducibility and sensitivity for the quantification of four tanshinones with overall RSD values for intra-day and inter-day precision and accuracy better than 3.8% and higher than 94.9%, respectively. The recovery of the method was 95.4-104.4% for all the tanshinones and showed good linearity (r>0.9998) over a relatively wide concentration range. CONCLUSIONS: This assay was successfully applied to the determination of four tanshinones in the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza and its related traditional Chinese medicinal preparations. The results indicated that the HPLC assay could be readily utilized as a quality control method for the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza and its related traditional Chinese medicinal preparations.

Simultaneous quantification of six major phenolic acids in the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza and four related traditional Chinese medicinal preparations by HPLC-DAD method.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method was applied to the determination of danshensu, protocatechuic aldehyde, rosmarinic acid, lithospermic acid, salvianolic acid B and salvianolic acid A in the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza and four related traditional Chinese medicinal preparations. The six phenolic acids were simultaneously analyzed with a Zorbax Extend C18 column by gradient elution using 0.026% (v/v) phosphoric acid and acetonitrile as the mobile phase. The flow rate was 1 ml min(-1), and detection wavelength was set at 288 nm. The recovery of the method was in the range of 95.1-104.8%, and all the compounds showed good linearity (r > 0.9997) in a relatively wide concentration range. This assay was successfully applied to the determination of six major phenolic acids in 32 samples. The results indicated that the developed HPLC assay could be readily utilized as a quality control method for S. miltiorrhiza and its related traditional Chinese medicinal preparations.

Effect of chronic unpredictable mild stress on brain-pancreas relative protein in rat brain and pancreas.

Brain-pancreas relative protein (BPRP) is a novel protein whose biological function remains unknown. Here, we report a possible role of BPRP in male rats exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) to induce depression for 3 weeks. Compared to unstressed rats, those exposed to CUMS showed significantly less weight gain with age, decreased consumption of (and preference for) sucrose without a change in total fluid consumption. Exposure to CUMS significantly reduced open-field exploration, rearing and grooming indicative of lethargy, apathy and bodily neglect, respectively. Brain MAO-A and MAO-B activity were both significantly increased in the stressed rats. These results verified induction of depressive symptoms by CUMS. The stressed animals showed a significant reduction in pancreatic BPRP, which was accompanied by an increase in levels of blood sugar and a decrease of insulin. But they showed no apparent alteration in levels or distribution of BPRP in the hippocampal formation, which nevertheless displayed a thinner dentate granule cell layer perhaps related to elevated MAO-B activity. These findings suggest that stress-induced reduction of pancreatic BPRP may cause diabetic symptoms. Whether those symptoms in turn contribute to the onset of depression requires further study.

Antidepressant effects of curcumin in the forced swim test and olfactory bulbectomy models of depression in rats.

Curcuma longa is a major constituent of Xiaoyao-san, the traditional Chinese medicinal formula, which has been used to effectively manage stress and depression-related disorders in China. Curcumin is the active component of curcuma longa, and we hypothesized that curcumin would have an influence on depressive-like behaviors. The purpose of the present study was to confirm the putative antidepressant effect of chronic administrations of curcumin (1.25, 2.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg, p.o.) in the forced swimming test and bilateral olfactory bulbectomy (OB) models of depression in rats. In the first study, chronic treatment with curcumin (14 days) reduced the immobility time in the forced swimming test. In the second experiment, curcumin reversed the OB-induced behavioral abnormalities such as hyperactivity in the open field, as well as deficits in step-down passive avoidance. In addition, OB-induced low levels of serotonin (5-HT), noradrenaline (NA), high 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and 4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) in the hippocampus were observed, and were completely reversed by curcumin administration. A slight decrease in 5-HT, NA and dopamine (DA) levels was found in the frontal cortex of OB rats which was also reversed by curcumin treatment. These results confirm the antidepressant effects of curcumin in the forced swim and the OB models of depression in rats, and suggest that these antidepressant effects may be mediated by actions in the central monoaminergic neurotransmitter systems.