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Zhou L, Zhang C, Xie Z, Yu Q, Wang J, Gong Y, Zhao J, Bai S, Yang L, Deng D, Zhang R, Shi Y. Neural Circuit Mechanisms of Sinisan formula for the Treatment of adolescent Depression: prefrontal cortex to dorsal raphe nucleus. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 334:118529. [PMID: 38972528 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Sinisan formula (SNSF), documented in the classic books Shanghan Lun, is known for its ability to regulate liver-qi and treat depression. However, its underlying mechanism, particularly its effects on dynamic real-time neuron activity and circuits remains to be fully elucidated. AIM OF THE STUDY This study aimed to investigate the antidepressant effect of SNSF and its central nervous system mechanism on depression-like behaviors, focusing on the prefrontal cortex (PFC) to dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) neural circuit in a stress-induced adolescent animal model. MATERIALS AND METHODS SNSF comprised four herbs, the root of Bupleurum chinense DC., the root of Paeonia lactiflora Pall., the fruit of Citrus aurantium L., the rhizome of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., in equal propotions. The adolescent depression animal model was induced by maternal separation (MS) and chronic restraint stress (CRS). In-vivo multichannel physiological electrodes were implanted into the PFC on PND 28 and animals were recorded 5 times during PND 35-46. From PND 47, the behavioral tests were performed to evaluate the antidepressant efficacy of SNSF. Subsequently, brain tissue was collected for Western blot and immunofluorescence staining analysis. Retro virus was injected into the DRN to explore sources of projections received by serotonergic (5-HTergic) neurons. And the PFC-to-DRN circuit was activated or inhibited through chemogenetic techniques to investigate the effects of SNSF on depression-like behaviors. RESULTS Administration of SNSF for 18 days effectively alleviated depression-like behaviors in MS&CRS adolescent mice. The PFC emerged as the primary glutamatergic projection source of the DRN5-HT neurons. Following SNSF administration for 13/15/18 days, there was an increase in the firing rate of excitatory neurons and excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) ratio in the PFC. MS&CRS stress let to a reduction in the density of 5-HT+ and CaMKII + neurons in the DRN, accompanied by an increase in the density of GAD + neurons in the DRN, while SNSF administration reversed the alterations. Chemogenetic activation of the PFC-to-DRN circuit rescued the depression-like behaviors induced by MS&CRS, whereas suppression of this circuit attenuated the antidepressant effect of SNSF. CONCLUSIONS SNSF significantly mitigated depression-like behaviors in MS&CRS mice. SNSF exerts its antidepressant effects by increasing the E/I ratio in the PFC and enhancing glutamatergic projections from the PFC to the DRN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liuchang Zhou
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510120, China; Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China; School of Fundamental Medical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Caixia Zhang
- Outpatient Department, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
| | - Zedan Xie
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Qingying Yu
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Junjie Wang
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Yuwen Gong
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Jinlan Zhao
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Shasha Bai
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Lei Yang
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Di Deng
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Rong Zhang
- Joint Laboratory for Translational Cancer Research of Chinese Medicine of the Ministry of Education, International Institute for Translational Chinese Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Yafei Shi
- School of Fundamental Medical Science, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
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Jiang H, Zhang M, Wang HQ, Zhang NN, Li XM, Yang XY, Chen AP, Yan X, Zhang Z, Chu SF, Wang ZZ, Chen NH. Inflammation and Connexin 43 profiles in the prefrontal cortex are relevant to stress susceptibility and resilience in mice. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 239:173757. [PMID: 38574898 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Depression is a major chronic mental illness worldwide, characterized by anhedonia and pessimism. Exposed to the same stressful stimuli, some people behave normally, while others exhibit negative behaviors and psychology. The exact molecular mechanisms linking stress-induced depressive susceptibility and resilience remain unclear. Connexin 43 (Cx43) forms gap junction channels between the astrocytes, acting as a crucial role in the pathogenesis of depression. Cx43 dysfunction could lead to depressive behaviors, and depression down-regulates the expression of Cx43 in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Besides, accumulating evidence indicates that inflammation is one of the most common pathological features of the central nervous system dysfunction. However, the roles of Cx43 and peripheral inflammation in stress-susceptible and stress-resilient individuals have rarely been investigated. Thus, animals were classified into the chronic unpredictable stress (CUS)-susceptible group and the CUS-resilient group based on the performance of behavioral tests following the CUS protocol in this study. The protein expression of Cx43 in the PFC, the Cx43 functional changes in the PFC, and the expression levels including interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6, IL-2, IL-10, and IL-18 in the peripheral serum were detected. Here, we found that stress exposure triggered a significant reduction in Cx43 protein expression in the CUS-susceptible mice but not in the CUS-resilient mice accompanied by various Cx43 phosphorylation expression and the changes of inflammatory signals. Stress resilience is associated with Cx43 in the PFC and fluctuation in inflammatory signaling, showing that therapeutic targeting of these pathways might promote stress resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica & Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica & Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Hui-Qin Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Hunan Engineering Technology Center of Standardization and Function of Chinese Herbal Decoction Pieces, Changsha 410208, China
| | - Ning-Ning Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica & Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Xin-Mu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica & Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Xue-Ying Yang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Ai-Ping Chen
- China Three Gorges University College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Yichang 443002, China
| | - Xu Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica & Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Zhao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica & Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Shi-Feng Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica & Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Zhen-Zhen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica & Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
| | - Nai-Hong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Functions of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica & Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China; School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine & Hunan Engineering Technology Center of Standardization and Function of Chinese Herbal Decoction Pieces, Changsha 410208, China.
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Zhao S, Yang T, Hou X, Zhang H, Zhao Y, Wang H, Sun N, Tan H, Zhang J, Fan H. Chlorogenic acid ameliorates chronic stress-induced prefrontal cortex injury through activating the 5-HT/BDNF signaling pathway in rats. FOOD BIOSCI 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fbio.2022.102179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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