scholarly journals Electroacupuncture Promotes Proliferation of Amplifying Neural Progenitors and Preserves Quiescent Neural Progenitors from Apoptosis to Alleviate Depressive-Like and Anxiety-Like Behaviours

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liu Yang ◽  
Na Yue ◽  
Xiaocang Zhu ◽  
Qiuqin Han ◽  
Bin Li ◽  
...  

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on depressive-like and anxiety-like behaviours and neural progenitors in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) in a chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) rat model of depression. After being exposed to a CUS procedure for 2 weeks, rats were subjected to EA treatment, which was performed on acupoints Du-20 (Bai-Hui) and GB-34 (Yang-Ling-Quan), once every other day for 15 consecutive days (including 8 treatments), with each treatment lasting for 30 min. The behavioural tests (i.e., forced swimming test, elevated plus-maze test, and open-field entries test) revealed that EA alleviated the depressive-like and anxiety-like behaviours of the stressed rats. Immunohistochemical results showed that proliferative cells (BrdU-positive) in the EA group were significantly larger in number compared with the Model group. Further, the results showed that EA significantly promoted the proliferation of amplifying neural progenitors (ANPs) and simultaneously inhibited the apoptosis of quiescent neural progenitors (QNPs). In a word, the mechanism underlying the antidepressant-like effects of EA is associated with enhancement of ANPs proliferation and preserving QNPs from apoptosis.

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 1934578X0900400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Maione ◽  
Maria Camela Bonito ◽  
Mariantonella Colucci ◽  
Virginia Cozzolino ◽  
Angela Bisio ◽  
...  

The potential anxiolytic and anti-depressive activity of CMP1 was studied in the elevated plus-maze test and in the forced swimming test. Furthermore, CMP1 sedative activity was evaluated in pentobarbital treated animals; the effect of CMP1 on spontaneous motor activity (total locomotion) was also evaluated. Our data show that CMP1, at doses that did not affect locomotion, was able to induce anxiolytic and sedative, but not anti-depressive effects. In conclusion, our results represent first evidence for an anxiolytic activity of this diterpenoid from Salvia cinnabarina.


Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 180
Author(s):  
Fowzul Islam Fahad ◽  
Niloy Barua ◽  
Md. Shafiqul Islam ◽  
Syed Al Jawad Sayem ◽  
Koushik Barua ◽  
...  

Lepidagathis hyalina Nees is used locally in Ayurvedic medicine to treat coughs and cardiovascular diseases. This study explored its pharmacological potential through in vivo and in vitro approaches for the metabolites extracted (methanolic) from the stems of L. hyalina. A qualitative phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of numerous secondary metabolites. The methanol extract of L. hyalina stems (MELHS) showed a strong antioxidative activity in the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and reducing power assays, and in the quantitative (phenolic and flavonoid) assay. Clot lysis and brine shrimp lethality bioassays were applied to investigate the thrombolytic and cytotoxic activities, respectively. MELHS exhibited an expressive percentage of clot lysis (33.98%) with a moderately toxic (115.11 μg/mL) effect. The in vivo anxiolytic activity was studied by an elevated plus maze test, whereas the antidepressant activity was examined by a tail suspension test and forced swimming test. During the anxiolytic evaluation, MELHS exhibited a significant dose-dependent reduction of anxiety, in which the 400 mg/kg dose of the extract showed 78.77 ± 4.42% time spent in the open arm in the elevated plus maze test. In addition, MELHS demonstrated dose-dependent and significant activities in the tail suspension test and forced swimming test, whereas the 400 mg/kg dose of the extract showed 87.67 ± 6.40% and 83.33 ± 6.39% inhibition of immobile time, respectively. Therefore, the current study suggests that L. hyalina could be a potential source of anti-oxidative, cytotoxic, thrombolytic, anxiolytic, and antidepressant agents. Further study is needed to determine the mechanism behind the bioactivities.


Now-a-days, the use of natural products has increased its popularity day by day all over the world. One of the most effective therapeutic medicinal plants is Bacopa monnieri. In the current study, the methanolic distillate of B. monnieri was designed for an antidepressant in mice models. B. monnieri was evaluated for anti-depressant venture in the forced swimming test (FST), tail suspension test (TST) and elevated plus maze test. In force swimming test, imipramine (30 mg/kg) used as a standard drug and in TST as well as elevated plus maze test, diazepam (10 mg/kg) used as a standard and the plant extract (100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg) was administered as test group and the control group was given deionized water. In this test, the test extracts (100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg) compare to both control and standard group. The higher dose (200 mg/kg) represented a more significant effect than a dose of 100 mg/kg. In comparison to the standard and control, at dose 200 mg/kg represented a more significant effect at p<0.05 among three of the test.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
George L. da Silva Oliveira ◽  
José C. Correia L. da Silva ◽  
Ana P. dos Santos C. L da Silva ◽  
Chistiane M. Feitosa ◽  
Fernanda R. de Castro Almeida

Background: Central nervous system disorders such as anxiety, depression and epilepsy are characterized by sharing several molecular mechanisms in common and the involvement of the L-arginine/NO pathway in neurobehavioral studies with β-caryophyllene is still little discussed. Objectives: One of the objectives of the present study was to demonstrate the anxiolytic behavioral effect of β-caryophyllene (β-CBP) in female Swiss mice, as well as to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the results obtained. Methods: This study evaluated the neurobehavioral effects of β-CBP using the open field test, rota-rod test, elevated plus maze test, novelty suppressed feeding test, tail suspension test and forced swim test, as well as pilocarpine, pentylenetetrazole and isoniazid-induced epileptic seizure models. Results:: The results demonstrated that the neuropharmacological activities of β-CBP may involve benzodiazepine/GABAergic receptors, since the pre-treatment of β-CBP (200 mg/kg) associated with flumazenil (5 mg/kg, benzodiazepine receptor antagonist) and bicuculline (1 mg/kg, selective GABAA receptor antagonist) reestablished the anxiety parameters in the elevated plus-maze test, as well as the results of reduced latency to consume food in the novelty suppressed feeding test. In addition to benzodiazepine/GABAergic receptors, the neuropharmacological properties of β-CBP may be related to inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis, since pre-treatment with L-arginine (500- 750 mg/kg) reversed significantly the anxiolytic, antidepressant and anticonvulsant activities of β-CBP. Conclusion: The results obtained provide additional support in understanding the neuromolecular mechanisms underlying the anxiolytic, antidepressant and anticonvulsive properties of β-CBP in female Swiss mice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hirotaka Shoji ◽  
Tsuyoshi Miyakawa

AbstractThe elevated plus maze test is a widely used test for assessing anxiety-like behavior and screening novel therapeutic agents in rodents. Previous studies have shown that a variety of internal factors and procedural variables can influence elevated plus maze behavior. Although some studies have suggested a link between behavior and plasma corticosterone levels, the relationships between them remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of experience with a battery of behavioral tests, the wall color of the closed arms, and illumination level on the behavior and plasma corticosterone responses in the elevated plus maze in male C57BL/6J mice. Mice were either subjected to a series of behavioral tests, including assessments of general health and neurological function, a light/dark transition test, and an open field test, or left undisturbed until the start of the elevated plus maze test. The mice with and without test battery experience were allowed to freely explore the elevated plus maze. The other two independent groups of naïve mice were tested in mazes with closed arms with different wall colors (clear, transparent blue, white, and black) or different illumination levels (5, 100, and 800 lx). Immediately after the test, blood was collected to measure plasma corticosterone concentrations. Mice with test battery experience showed a lower percentage of open arm time and entries and, somewhat paradoxically, had lower plasma corticosterone levels than the mice with no test battery experience. Mice tested in the maze with closed arms with clear walls exhibited higher open arm exploration than mice tested in the maze with closed arms with black walls, while there were no significant differences in plasma corticosterone levels between the different wall color conditions. Illumination levels had no significant effects on any measure. Our results indicate that experience with other behavioral tests and different physical features of the maze affect elevated plus maze behaviors. Increased open arm time and entries are conventionally interpreted as decreased anxiety-like behavior, while other possible interpretations are considered: open arm exploration may reflect heightened anxiety and panic-like reaction to a novel situation under certain conditions. With the possibility of different interpretations, the present findings highlight the need to carefully consider the test conditions in designing experiments and drawing conclusions from the behavioral outcomes in the elevated plus maze test in C57BL/6J mice.


2005 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugo Medeiros Garrido de Paula ◽  
Amauri Gouveia ◽  
Marcos Vinícius de Almeida ◽  
Katsumasa Hoshino

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