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Moragrega I, Ríos JL. Medicinal Plants in the Treatment of Depression: Evidence from Preclinical Studies. PLANTA MEDICA 2021; 87:656-685. [PMID: 33434941 DOI: 10.1055/a-1338-1011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Medicinal plants and their extracts are natural remedies with enormous potential for treating various diseases, including depression and anxiety. In the case of depression, hundreds of plants have traditionally been used in folk medicine for generations. Different plant extracts and natural products have been analyzed as potential antidepressant agents with validated models to test for antidepressant-like effects in animals, although other complementary studies have also been employed. Most of these studies focus on the possible mediators implicated in these potential effects, with dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline being the principal neurotransmitters implicated, both through interference with receptors and with their metabolism by monoamino oxidases, as well as through neuro-endocrine and neuroprotective effects. There are approximately 650 reports of antidepressant-like medicinal plants in PubMed; 155 of them have been compiled in this review, with a relevant group yielding positive results. Saffron and turmeric are the most relevant species studied in both preclinical and clinical studies; St. John's wort or kava have also been tested extensively. To the best of our knowledge, no review to date has provided a comprehensive understanding of the biomolecular mechanisms of action of these herbs or of whether their potential effects could have real benefits. The purpose of this narrative review is to provide an update regarding medicinal plants from the year 2000 to the present to examine the therapeutic potential of these antidepressant-like plants in order to contribute to the development of new therapeutic methods to alleviate the tremendous burden that depression causes worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inés Moragrega
- Departament de Psicobiologia, Facultat de Psicologia, Universitat de València
| | - José Luis Ríos
- Departament de Farmacologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de València
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Zhang J, Hunto ST, Yang Y, Lee J, Cho JY. Tabebuia impetiginosa: A Comprehensive Review on Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, and Immunopharmacological Properties. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25184294. [PMID: 32962180 PMCID: PMC7571111 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25184294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Tabebuia impetiginosa, a plant native to the Amazon rainforest and other parts of Latin America, is traditionally used for treating fever, malaria, bacterial and fungal infections, and skin diseases. Additionally, several categories of phytochemicals and extracts isolated from T. impetiginosa have been studied via various models and displayed pharmacological activities. This review aims to uncover and summarize the research concerning T. impetiginosa, particularly its traditional uses, phytochemistry, and immunopharmacological activity, as well as to provide guidance for future research. A comprehensive search of the published literature was conducted to locate original publications pertaining to T. impetiginosa up to June 2020. The main inquiry used the following keywords in various combinations in titles and abstracts: T. impetiginosa, Taheebo, traditional uses, phytochemistry, immunopharmacological, anti-inflammatory activity. Immunopharmacological activity described in this paper includes its anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-autoimmune, and anti-cancer properties. Particularly, T. impetiginosa has a strong effect on anti-inflammatory activity. This paper also describes the target pathway underlying how T. impetiginosa inhibits the inflammatory response. The need for further investigation to identify other pharmacological activities as well as the exact target proteins of T. impetiginosa was also highlighted. T. impetiginosa may provide a new strategy for prevention and treatment of many immunological disorders that foster extensive research to identify potential anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory compounds and fractions as well as to explore the underlying mechanisms of this herb. Further scientific evidence is required for clinical trials on its immunopharmacological effects and safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianmei Zhang
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, and Biomedical Institute for Convergence at SKKU (BICS), Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Korea; (J.Z.); (S.T.H.)
| | - Stephanie Triseptya Hunto
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, and Biomedical Institute for Convergence at SKKU (BICS), Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Korea; (J.Z.); (S.T.H.)
| | - Yoonyong Yang
- Biological and Genetic Resources Assessment Division, National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon 22689, Korea;
| | - Jongsung Lee
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, and Biomedical Institute for Convergence at SKKU (BICS), Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Korea; (J.Z.); (S.T.H.)
- Correspondence: (J.L.); (J.Y.C.); Tel.: +82-31-290-7861 (J.L.); +82-31-290-7868 (J.Y.C.)
| | - Jae Youl Cho
- Department of Integrative Biotechnology, and Biomedical Institute for Convergence at SKKU (BICS), Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Korea; (J.Z.); (S.T.H.)
- Correspondence: (J.L.); (J.Y.C.); Tel.: +82-31-290-7861 (J.L.); +82-31-290-7868 (J.Y.C.)
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Ghasemi M, Claunch J, Niu K. Pathologic role of nitrergic neurotransmission in mood disorders. Prog Neurobiol 2018; 173:54-87. [PMID: 29890213 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2018.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Mood disorders are chronic, recurrent mental diseases that affect millions of individuals worldwide. Although over the past 40 years the biogenic amine models have provided meaningful links with the clinical phenomena of, and the pharmacological treatments currently employed in, mood disorders, there is still a need to examine the contribution of other systems to the neurobiology and treatment of mood disorders. This article reviews the current literature describing the potential role of nitric oxide (NO) signaling in the pathophysiology and thereby the treatment of mood disorders. The hypothesis has arisen from several observations including (i) altered NO levels in patients with mood disorders; (ii) antidepressant effects of NO signaling blockers in both clinical and pre-clinical studies; (iii) interaction between conventional antidepressants/mood stabilizers and NO signaling modulators in several biochemical and behavioral studies; (iv) biochemical and physiological evidence of interaction between monoaminergic (serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine) system and NO signaling; (v) interaction between neurotrophic factors and NO signaling in mood regulation and neuroprotection; and finally (vi) a crucial role for NO signaling in the inflammatory processes involved in pathophysiology of mood disorders. These accumulating lines of evidence have provided a new insight into novel approaches for the treatment of mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Ghasemi
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA.
| | - Joshua Claunch
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Kathy Niu
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
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Hami J, Hosseini M, Nezhad SV, Shahi S, Lotfi N, Ehsani H, Sadeghi A. Beneficial effects of L-arginine on 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced neuronal degeneration in substantia nigra of Balb/c mice. Adv Biomed Res 2016; 5:140. [PMID: 27656609 PMCID: PMC5025923 DOI: 10.4103/2277-9175.187374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Accepted: 09/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND L-arginine has been recently investigated and proposed to reduce neurological damage after various experimental models of neuronal cellular damage. In this study, we aim to evaluate the beneficial effects of L-arginine administration on the numerical density of dark neurons (DNs) in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) of Balb/c mice subjected to 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) administration. MATERIALS AND METHODS Male Balb/c mice were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 7 each): MPTP only; saline only (control); MPTP + L-arginine; and L-arginine only. The animals were infused intranasally with a single intranasal administration of the proneurotoxin MPTP (1 mg/nostril). L-arginine (300 mg/kg) was administrated intraperitoneally once daily for 1-week starting from 3 days after MPTP administration. Cavalieri principle method was used to estimate the numerical density of DNs in the SNc of different studied groups. RESULTS Twenty days following MPTP administration, the number of DNs was significantly increased when compared to sham-control and L-arginine-control groups (P < 0.05). Nevertheless, our results showed that L-arginine administration significantly decreased the numerical density of DNs in SNc of mice. CONCLUSION This investigation provides new insights in experimental models of Parkinson's disease, indicating that L-arginine represents a potential treatment agent for dopaminergic neuron degeneration in SNc observed in Parkinson's disease patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Hami
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Mehran Hosseini
- Department of Public Health, Research Centre of Experimental Medicine, Deputy of Research and Technology, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Saeed Vafaei Nezhad
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Sekineh Shahi
- Department of Biology, School of Sciences, Payam-e-Noor University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nassim Lotfi
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Hossein Ehsani
- Student of Medicine, Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Akram Sadeghi
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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Tan YF, Liao ZL, Qiu YJ, Zhu JP, Yu EY. Possible involvement of L-arginine-nitric oxide (NO)-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling pathway in the antidepressant-like effect of Wuling mycelia powder in rat. Biomed Pharmacother 2016; 78:60-65. [PMID: 26898425 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2015.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
CONTEXT Wuling mycelia powder is the dry powder of rare a fungi Xyla ria sp., Carbon species, with a long history of medicinal use in Chinese medicine. Recently it has shown a powerful antidepressant activity in clinic. OBJECTIVE The present study explores the antidepressant activity of Wuling mycelia powder in chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) rats and its possible involvement of l-arginine-nitric oxide (NO)-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling pathway. MATERIALS AND METHODS Experiments were performed in the rat CUMS model. CUMS rats were treated with Wuling mycelia powder (0.5, 1.0 or 2.0 g/kg, i.g.) to test behavioral changes including the sucrose preference, the crossing number and food consumption. Further, L-arginine (substrate for nitric oxide) (750 mg/kg), 7-nitroindazole (a specific neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitor) (25 mg/kg), sildenafil (phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor) (5 mg/kg) and methylene blue (direct inhibitor of both nitric oxide synthase and soluble guanylate cyclase) (10 mg/kg) were treated for 60 min before each test to detect the possible mechanism of antidepressant-like effect of Wuling mycelia powder. RESULTS After 4 weeks of administration, both 1.0 or 2.0 g/kg Wuling mycelia powder suppressed the behavioral changes including the sucrose preference [F(3, 31)=50.87, p<0.001], the crossing number [F(3, 31)=68.98, p<0.05], and food consumption [F(3, 31)=19.04, p<0.05] in the CUMS rats. The antidepressant-like effect of Wuling mycelia powder was prevented by pretreatment with l-arginine and sildenafil. Pretreatment of rats with 7-nitroindazole and methylene blue potentiated the effect of Wulin mycelia powder. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrate that Wuling mycelia powder has an antidepressant-like effect in the CUMS rats, and possible involvement of L-arginine-nitric oxide-cyclic GMP signaling pathway in its antidepressant effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Fei Tan
- Department of Psychiatry, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Zheng-Luan Liao
- Department of Psychiatry, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Ya-Ju Qiu
- Department of Psychiatry, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Jun-Peng Zhu
- Department of Psychiatry, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - En-Yan Yu
- Department of Psychiatry, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China.
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Bahramsoltani R, Farzaei MH, Farahani MS, Rahimi R. Phytochemical constituents as future antidepressants: a comprehensive review. Rev Neurosci 2015; 26:699-719. [DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2015-0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2015] [Accepted: 04/19/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
AbstractDepression is a major mental disease that is ranked as the fourth leading cause of disability. In order to avoid unwanted adverse reactions, as well as improve efficacy, current researches are seeking alternatives to conventional antidepressants. Phytochemicals provide an extensive research area in antidepressant therapies. The aim of the present study is to comprehensively review neurological evidences demonstrating the efficacy of phytochemicals in depression. For this purpose, electronic databases were searched to collect all data on the antidepressant mechanisms of phytochemicals from 1966 up to 2015. Plant metabolites from different categories including polyphenols (flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignanes, coumarins), alkaloids, terpenes and terpenoids, saponins and sapogenins, amines, and carbohydrates were found to possess antidepressant activity. Naringenin, quercetin derivatives, eugenol, piperine, diterpene alkaloids, berberine, hyperforin, riparin derivatives, ginsenosides, as well as β-carboline alkaloids are among the most relevant ones. Naringenin has represented its antidepressant effect by elevation of serotonin (5-HT), norepinephrine, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and glucocorticoid receptors. Piperine demonstrated inhibition of monoamine oxidase enzymes, elevation of brain 5-HT and BDNF levels, and modulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. The serotonergic, noradrenergic, and dopaminergic effect of berberine has been proven in several studies. Quercetin derivatives have revealed antidepressant potential via elevating pro-opiomelanocortin and neuroprotective properties, as well as reduction of proinflammatory cytokines. Assessing the structure-activity relationship of highly potent antidepressant phytochemicals is suggested to find future natural, semisynthetic, or synthetic antidepressants. Further clinical studies are also necessary for confirmation of natural antidepressant efficacy and completion of their safety profile.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marzieh Sarbandi Farahani
- 4Faculty of Pharmacy, Young Researchers & Elite Club, Pharmaceutical Sciences Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran 194193311, Iran
| | - Roja Rahimi
- 3Department of Traditional Pharmacy, School of Traditional Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1417653761, Iran
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Hami J, Hosseini M, Shahi S, Lotfi N, Talebi A, Afshar M. Effects of L-arginine pre-treatment in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced Parkinson's diseases in Balb/c mice. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY 2015; 14:195-203. [PMID: 26885338 PMCID: PMC4754598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease resulting from the degeneration of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). Increasing evidence demonstrated that mice treated intranasally with 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) suffered impairments in motor functions associated with disruption of DA neurons in SNc conceivably analogous to those observed in PD. L-arginine has been proposed as a novel neuroprotective agent that plays protective roles in several models of neuronal cellular damage. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of L-arginine on the numerical density of dark neurons (DNs) in the SNc of Balb/c mice subjected to MPTP administration. METHODS In the present study, we demonstrated that repeated treatment with L-arginine (300 mg/kg, i.p.) during 7 consecutive days attenuated the production of DNs in SNc of adult male Balb/c mice infused with a single intranasal administration of MPTP (1 mg/nostril). RESULTS Pre-treatment with L-arginine significantly decreased the numerical density of DNs in SNc of mice 21 days after intranasal MPTP administration. CONCLUSION This investigation provides new insights in experimental models of PD, indicating that L-arginine represents a potential neuroprotective agent for the prevention of DA neuron degeneration in SNc observed in PD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Hami
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Mehran Hosseini
- Research Centre of Experimental Medicine AND Department of Public Health, Deputy of Research and Technology, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Sekineh Shahi
- Department of Biology, School of Sciences, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nassim Lotfi
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand AND Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Talebi
- School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Mohammad Afshar
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
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Agmatine, by Improving Neuroplasticity Markers and Inducing Nrf2, Prevents Corticosterone-Induced Depressive-Like Behavior in Mice. Mol Neurobiol 2015; 53:3030-3045. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-015-9182-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2015] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Nitric oxide involvement in the antidepressant-like effect of ketamine in the Flinders sensitive line rat model of depression. Acta Neuropsychiatr 2015; 27:90-6. [PMID: 25491110 DOI: 10.1017/neu.2014.39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We investigated whether the nitric oxide (NO) precursor, L-arginine, can prevent the antidepressant-like action of the fast-acting antidepressant, ketamine, in a genetic rat model of depression, and/or induce changes in the glutamate (Glu)/N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)/NO/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signalling pathway. Hereby it was evaluated whether the NO signalling system is involved in the antidepressant mechanism of ketamine. METHODS Flinders sensitive line (FSL) rats received single i.p. injections of ketamine (15 mg/kg) with/without pre-treatment (30 min prior) with L-arginine (500 mg/kg). Depression-like behaviour was assessed in the forced swim test (FST) in terms of immobility, and the activation state of the Glu/NMDAR/NO/cGMP pathway was evaluated ex vivo in the frontal cortex and hippocampus regions in terms of total constitutive NOS (cNOS) activity and cGMP concentration. RESULTS L-Arginine pre-treatment prevented the antidepressant-like effect of ketamine in the FST, as well as a ketamine-induced increase in cGMP levels in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of FSL rats. Ketamine reduced cNOS activity only in the hippocampus, and this effect was not reversed by L-arginine. CONCLUSION Both the behavioural and molecular results from this study indicate an involvement for the NO signalling pathway in the antidepressant action of ketamine. Although not easily interpretable, these findings broaden our knowledge of effects of ketamine on the NO system.
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Donato F, Borges Filho C, Giacomeli R, Alvater EET, Del Fabbro L, Antunes MDS, de Gomes MG, Goes ATR, Souza LC, Boeira SP, Jesse CR. Evidence for the Involvement of Potassium Channel Inhibition in the Antidepressant-Like Effects of Hesperidin in the Tail Suspension Test in Mice. J Med Food 2015; 18:818-23. [PMID: 25647144 DOI: 10.1089/jmf.2014.0074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The administration of hesperidin elicits an antidepressant-like effect in mice by a mechanism dependent on an interaction with the L-arginine-nitric oxide (NO)-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) pathway, whose stimulation is associated with the activation of potassium (K(+)) channels. Thus, this study investigated the involvement of different types of K(+) channels in the antidepressant-like effect of hesperidin in the mice tail suspension test (TST). The intracerebroventricular administration of tetraethylammonium (TEA, a nonspecific blocker of K(+) channels), glibenclamide (an ATP-sensitive K(+) channel blocker), charybdotoxin (a large- and intermediate-conductance calcium-activated K(+) channel blocker) or apamin (a small-conductance calcium-activated K(+) channel blocker) combined with a subeffective dose of hesperidin (0.01 mg/kg, intraperitoneally [i.p.]) was able to produce a synergistic antidepressant-like effect in the mice TST. Moreover, the antidepressant-like effect elicited by an effective dose of hesperidin (0.3 mg/kg, i.p.) in TST was abolished by the treatment of mice with pharmacological compounds K(+) channel openers (cromakalim and minoxidil). Results showed that the antidepressant-like effect of hesperidin in TST may involve, at least in part, the modulation of neuronal excitability through inhibition of K(+) channels and may act through a mechanism dependent on the inhibition of L-arginine-NO pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franciele Donato
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Assessments Applied to Bioactive Molecules, LaftamBio Pampa, Federal University of Pampa , Itaqui, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Carlos Borges Filho
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Assessments Applied to Bioactive Molecules, LaftamBio Pampa, Federal University of Pampa , Itaqui, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Renata Giacomeli
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Assessments Applied to Bioactive Molecules, LaftamBio Pampa, Federal University of Pampa , Itaqui, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Elza Eliza Tenório Alvater
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Assessments Applied to Bioactive Molecules, LaftamBio Pampa, Federal University of Pampa , Itaqui, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Lucian Del Fabbro
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Assessments Applied to Bioactive Molecules, LaftamBio Pampa, Federal University of Pampa , Itaqui, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Michele da Silva Antunes
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Assessments Applied to Bioactive Molecules, LaftamBio Pampa, Federal University of Pampa , Itaqui, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Gomes de Gomes
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Assessments Applied to Bioactive Molecules, LaftamBio Pampa, Federal University of Pampa , Itaqui, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - André Tiago Rossito Goes
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Assessments Applied to Bioactive Molecules, LaftamBio Pampa, Federal University of Pampa , Itaqui, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Leandro Cattelan Souza
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Assessments Applied to Bioactive Molecules, LaftamBio Pampa, Federal University of Pampa , Itaqui, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Silvana Peterini Boeira
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Assessments Applied to Bioactive Molecules, LaftamBio Pampa, Federal University of Pampa , Itaqui, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Cristiano Ricardo Jesse
- Laboratory of Pharmacological and Toxicological Assessments Applied to Bioactive Molecules, LaftamBio Pampa, Federal University of Pampa , Itaqui, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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Freitas AE, Bettio LEB, Neis VB, Moretti M, Ribeiro CM, Lopes MW, Leal RB, Rodrigues ALS. Sub-chronic agmatine treatment modulates hippocampal neuroplasticity and cell survival signaling pathways in mice. J Psychiatr Res 2014; 58:137-46. [PMID: 25161097 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Revised: 07/21/2014] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Agmatine is an endogenous neuromodulator which, based on animal and human studies, is a putative novel antidepressant drug. In this study, we investigated the ability of sub-chronic (21 days) p.o. agmatine administration to produce an antidepressant-like effect in the tail suspension test and examined the hippocampal cell signaling pathways implicated in such an effect. Agmatine at doses of 0.01 and 0.1 mg/kg (p.o.) produced a significant antidepressant-like effect in the tail suspension test and no effect in the open-field test. Additionally, agmatine (0.001-0.1 mg/kg, p.o.) increased the phosphorylation of protein kinase A substrates (237-258% of control), protein kinase B/Akt (Ser(473)) (116-127% of control), glycogen synthase kinase-3β (Ser(9)) (110-113% of control), extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (119-137% and 121-138% of control, respectively) and cAMP response elements (Ser(133)) (127-152% of control), and brain-derived-neurotrophic factor (137-175% of control) immunocontent in a dose-dependent manner in the hippocampus. Agmatine (0.001-0.1 mg/kg, p.o.) also reduced the c-jun N-terminal kinase 1/2 phosphorylation (77-71% and 65-51% of control, respectively). Neither protein kinase C nor p38(MAPK) phosphorylation was altered under any experimental conditions. Taken together, the present study extends the available data on the mechanisms that underlie the antidepressant action of agmatine by showing an antidepressant-like effect following sub-chronic administration. In addition, our results are the first to demonstrate the ability of agmatine to elicit the activation of cellular signaling pathways associated with neuroplasticity/cell survival and the inhibition of signaling pathways associated with cell death in the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andiara E Freitas
- Department of Biochemistry, Center of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Universitário, Trindade 88040-900, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Luis E B Bettio
- Department of Biochemistry, Center of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Universitário, Trindade 88040-900, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Vivian B Neis
- Department of Biochemistry, Center of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Universitário, Trindade 88040-900, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Morgana Moretti
- Department of Biochemistry, Center of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Universitário, Trindade 88040-900, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Camille M Ribeiro
- Department of Biochemistry, Center of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Universitário, Trindade 88040-900, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Mark W Lopes
- Department of Biochemistry, Center of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Universitário, Trindade 88040-900, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo B Leal
- Department of Biochemistry, Center of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Universitário, Trindade 88040-900, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Ana Lúcia S Rodrigues
- Department of Biochemistry, Center of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Campus Universitário, Trindade 88040-900, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
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