ABSTRACT
This study was aimed to investigate the effects of Chai-Hu Shu-Gan Tang (CHSGT) on levels of TNF-α and 5-HT in lithium chloride–pilocarpine caused epilepsy–depression comorbidity rat model, in order to discuss the intervention effect of CHSGT on TNF-α and 5-HT in epilepsy–depression comorbidity. The lithium chloride–pilocarpine caused epilepsy–depression comorbidity rat model was established. After 6 weeks of animal establishment, rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, which were citalopram group (A), physiological saline group (B), CHSGT high dose group (C), medium dose group (D), and low dose group (E). Intragastric administration was given for 4 weeks, twice a day. Before and after the treatment, RT-PCR was performed to detect hippocampal TNF-αlevels. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was performed to detect hippocampal 5-HT levels. Both forced swimming test (FST) and saccharin preference test were carried out to monitor the depressive behaviors of rats. In the meantime, 24 hours a day video camera surveillance were performed to record the number of seizures of rats. The results showed that after treatment, the number of seizures of rats were significantly reduced, the accumulative immobility time in FST was shortened, and the consumption of sucrose increased significantly (P < 0.01) in group A, C and D. Compared with group B, after the treatment, the expressions of hippocampal TNF-α mRNA of rats in group A, C, D were distinctly downregulated, with the level of 5-HT significantly increased (P < 0.05,P < 0.01). Compared with group A, group C and D showed no significant changes. It was concluded that TNF-α played a role in the pathogenesis of epilepsy–depression comorbidity through mediating the level of 5-HT. High and medium doses of CHSGT can downregulate the expression of TNF-α mRNA in depression comorbidity of chronic temporal lobe epilepsy, increase 5-HT level, reduce the number of seizures of rats, and improve depressive behaviors.
