Antioxidant and Proliferative Activities of Bupleuri Radix Extract Against Serum Deprivation in SH-SY5Y Cells

OBJECTIVE: Bupleuri Radix (BR) is a major component of several Oriental herbal medicines used to treat stress and mental illness. There are evidences that antidepressant drugs modulate oxidative damage implicated in the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorder, including depression. The aim of the present study was to investigate antioxidant and proliferative effects of BR against oxidative stress induced by serum deprivation in SH-SY5Y cells. METHODS: We examined the antioxidant effects of BR on a number of measures, including cell viability, formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and levels of both Bcl-2 and Bax. We also investigated the effects of BR on cell proliferation using the bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) assay, and used Western blot analysis to measure changes in expression of the cell cycle phase regulators. RESULTS: 1) Serum deprivation significantly induced the loss of cell viability, the formation of ROS, the reduction of SOD activity, down-regulation of Bcl-2 expression and up-regulation of Bax expression. However, BR extract reversed these effects in dose-dependent manner. 2) Serum deprivation significantly reduced cell proliferation. Western blot analysis revealed that serum deprivation significantly decreased cyclinD1 and phosphorylated retinoblastoma (pRb) expression, and increased p27 expression. On the other hand, BR dose dependently reversed these effects. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that aqueous extract of BR may exert potent antioxidant effects and also play an important role in regulating cell cycle progression during neurogenesis. These effects of BR may be a potentially important mechanism of antidepressant underlying the observed antioxidant and proliferative effects.

Association of BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism with Depressive and Cognitive Symptoms in Patients with Schizophrenia / 대한정신약물학회지

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the association of serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and its genotypic distribution with depressive and cognitive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS: The subjects were 207 patients who met the DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia and 100 normal subjects. We evaluated psychotic, depressive, and cognitive symptoms using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, 17 Hamilton's Rating Scale for Depression, and the Korean version-Mini Mental Status Examination in schizophrenic patients. The serum level of BDNF was analyzed with ELISA and the genotypic distribution of BDNF was examined in all subjects. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were detected in genotype or serum level of BDNF between the patients with schizophrenia and normal subjects, between depressed and nondepressed patients, or between the patients with and without cognitive impairments. The frequency of Met alleles was high in the depressive schizophrenic patients with cognitive impairments (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Met alleles are associated with depression in schizophrenic patients with cognitive impairments, but serum BDNF concentration is not related to the presence of depression or cognitive impairments.