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Chong PS, Poon CH, Roy J, Tsui KC, Lew SY, Phang MWL, Tan RJY, Cheng PG, Fung ML, Wong KH, Lim LW. Neurogenesis-dependent antidepressant-like activity of Hericium erinaceus in an animal model of depression. Chin Med 2021; 16:132. [PMID: 34876186 PMCID: PMC8650354 DOI: 10.1186/s13020-021-00546-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Depression is a severe neuropsychiatric disorder that affects more than 264 million people worldwide. The efficacy of conventional antidepressants are barely adequate and many have side effects. Hericium erinaceus (HE) is a medicinal mushroom that has been reported to have therapeutic potential for treating depression. Methods Animals subjected to chronic restraint stress were given 4 weeks HE treatment. Animals were then screened for anxiety and depressive-like behaviours. Gene and protein assays, as well as histological analysis were performed to probe the role of neurogenesis in mediating the therapeutic effect of HE. Temozolomide was administered to validate the neurogenesis-dependent mechanism of HE. Results The results showed that 4 weeks of HE treatment ameliorated depressive-like behaviours in mice subjected to 14 days of restraint stress. Further molecular assays demonstrated the 4-week HE treatment elevated the expression of several neurogenesis-related genes and proteins, including doublecortin, nestin, synaptophysin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB), phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase, and phosphorylated cAMP response element-binding protein (pCREB). Increased bromodeoxyuridine-positive cells were also observed in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, indicating enhanced neurogenesis. Neurogenesis blocker temozolomide completely abolished the antidepressant-like effects of HE, confirming a neurogenesis-dependent mechanism. Moreover, HE induced anti-neuroinflammatory effects through reducing astrocyte activation in the hippocampus, which was also abolished with temozolomide administration. Conclusion HE exerts antidepressant effects by promoting neurogenesis and reducing neuroinflammation through enhancing the BDNF-TrkB-CREB signalling pathway. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13020-021-00546-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pit Shan Chong
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chi Him Poon
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jaydeep Roy
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ka Chun Tsui
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Sze Yuen Lew
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Michael Weng Lok Phang
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Rachael Julia Yuenyinn Tan
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Poh Guat Cheng
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.,Ganofarm R&D SDN BHD, 01-01, SKYPOD SQUARE, Persiaran Puchong Jaya Selatan, Bandar Puchong Jaya, 47100, Puchong, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Man-Lung Fung
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kah Hui Wong
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong SAR, China. .,Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| | - Lee Wei Lim
- Neuromodulation Laboratory, School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, 21 Sassoon Road, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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