逍遥散对CUMS模型大鼠行为学及脑内单胺类神经递质的影响

目的:观察逍遥散对慢性温和不可预知应激(CUMS)模型大鼠的行为学及脑内单胺类神经递质含量的影响。方法:应用慢性温和不可预知应激程序对大鼠进行为期11周的造模,造模后3周,分别采用逍遥散(19.5g/kg、25.0g/kg)和丙咪嗪(15.0mg/kg)对模型大鼠进行为期8周的治疗。实验进程中,定期测定大鼠体重、糖水消耗量;应用开场实验测定大鼠爬行格子数和站立次数;造模、治疗结束后处死大鼠,解剖分离大鼠皮层和海马部位,采用荧光分光光度法测定5-HLAA、5-HT、DA和NE含量。结果:与正常对照组比较。大鼠造模后3周糖水消耗量、爬行格子数和站立次数均明显减少(P<0.01);与模型对照组比较,逍遥散19.5、25.0g/kg连续给药2周能显著增加糖水消耗量,但给药4周、7周对糖水消耗量影响不明显;与模型对照组比较,逍遥散25.0g/kg连续给药7周,对大鼠体重、爬行格子数和站立次数表现出提高趋势(P>0.05),逍遥散25.0g/kg连续给药8周,能明显提高模型大鼠皮层部位5-HT含量及海马部位5-HIAA含量(P<0.05,P<0.01)。结论:逍遥散对CUMS抑郁模型大鼠表现出抗抑郁作用,作用机制与影响脑内单胺类神经递质5-HT活性有关。     

Behavioral and Biochemical Interaction Between Nicotine and Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress in Mice

Nicotine, the main component of tobacco smoke, exerts influence on mood, and contributes to physical and psychological dependence. Taking into account frequent concomitance of nicotine abuse and stress, we aimed to research behavioral and biochemical effects associated with nicotine administration in combination with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Mice were submitted to the procedure of CUMS for 4 weeks, 2 h per day. Our results revealed that CUMS-exposed animals exhibited behavioral alteration like anxiety disorders in the elevated plus maze (EPM) test, the disturbances in memory in the passive avoidance (PA) test and depressive effects in the forced swim test (FST). Moreover, nicotine (0.05–0.5 mg/kg), after an acute or subchronic administration decreased stress-induced depression- and anxiety-like effect as well as memory deficit. Administration of metyrapone (50 mg/kg), a glucocorticosteroid antagonist, alleviated the depressive effect induced by the CUMS. The biochemical experiments showed decreased values of the total antioxidant status (TAS), activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) with simultaneously increased in malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in mice submitted to the CUMS. The same effects were observed after an acute and subchronic nicotine administration within all examined brain structures (i.e., hippocampus, cortex, and cerebellum) and in the whole brain in non-stressed and stressed mice confirming pro-oxidative effect of nicotine. Our study contributes to the understanding of behavioral and biochemical mechanisms involved in stress-induced disorders such as depression, anxiety and memory disturbances as well as dual nicotine-stress interactions on the basis of the development of nicotine dependence.     

创伤后应激障碍对慢性不可预见性应激抑郁模型的影响

目的:观察创伤后应激障碍(PTSD)对慢性不可预见性应激(CUS)抑郁模型的影响。方法:采用足底电击的方法建立大鼠创伤后应激障碍模型。成年雄性S-D大鼠40只随机分为四组(n=10):对照组(C组)、PTSD组、CUS组、PTSD+CUS组(P+C组)。在1、7、14、21天测量大鼠体重,并行糖水偏好和强迫游泳实验,在7、14、21天做条件性恐惧实验。结果:与C组相比,CUS组和P+C组体重增加缓慢,PTSD组体重正常。CUS组于第21天出现糖水消耗比例降低,强迫游泳不动时间增加。P+C组于第14天即出现上述抑郁表现。条件性恐惧实验中,PTSD组与PTSD+CUS组僵直时间显著增加,CUS组无明显变化。结论:创伤后应激障碍的动物更易产生抑郁表现。     

An Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Protocol for Instigating Depressive Symptoms,Behavioral Changes and Negative Health Outcomes in Rodents

Chronic, unresolved stress is a major risk factor for the development of clinical depression. While many preclinical models of stress-induced depression have been reported, the unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) protocol is an established translationally-relevant model for inducing behavioral symptoms commonly associated with clinical depression, such as anhedonia, altered grooming behavior, and learned helplessness in rodents. The UCMS protocol also induces physiological (e.g., hypercortisolemia, hypertension) and neurological (e.g., anhedonia, learned helplessness) changes that are clinically associated with depression. Importantly, UCMS-induced depressive symptoms can be ameliorated through chronic, but not acute, treatment with common SSRIs. As such, the UCMS protocol offers many advantages over acute stress protocols or protocols that utilize more extreme stressors. Our protocol involves randomized, daily exposures to 7 distinct stressors: damp bedding, removal of bedding, cage tilt, alteration of light/dark cycles, social stresses, shallow water bath, and predator sounds/smells. By subjecting rodents 3-4 hr daily to these mild stressors for 8 weeks, we demonstrate both significant behavioral changes and poor health outcomes to the cardiovascular system. This approach allows for in-depth interrogation of the neurological, behavioral, and physiological alterations associated with chronic stress-induced depression, as well as for testing of new potential therapeutic agents or intervention strategies.     

Abnormal Expression of MicroRNAs Induced by Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress in Rat Hippocampal Tissues

Previous research has demonstrated that the behaviors observed in chronic unpredictable mild stressed (CUMS) rats are similar to the symptoms of depressed patients and that the abnormal expression of cerebral microRNAs is associated with depressive disorder. However, little is known regarding the expression profile of microRNAs induced by CUMS. In this study, we aimed to examine the hippocampal microRNA expression profile in CUMS rats. Forty adolescent male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal and model groups. The rats in the model group were stimulated daily with randomly applied mild stressors from among 14 different mild stressors. The stressors were changed every day and were applied for 35 consecutive days. On the 28th and 35th days after treatment, the weights, physical condition, sucrose preference, and open-field test scores of the rats of the two groups were evaluated. Successful induction of CUMS was considered if the differences of the above metrics between the two groups were statistically significant on the 28th and 35th days after treatment. Cerebral sucrose metabolism images of rats were obtained by 18F-FDG PET/CT. The rats were euthanized under anesthesia, and hippocampal tissues were collected for hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. In addition, the samples were used for microRNA array chip and qRT-PCR analysis. The target genes of different microRNAs were predicted using bioinformatic analysis, and the functions and signal pathways of these target genes were investigated by GO and KEGG analyses. Sixteen rats exhibited successful induction of CUMS. Cerebral ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT imaging showed that the glucose metabolism rate of CUMS rats were significantly lower than normal rats in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (CIC, p = 0.022), the retrosplenial agranular area (RSA, p = 0.002), the second sensory cortex (S2, p = 0.028), the first auditory cortex (Au1, p = 0.012), the primary somatosensory cortex, barrel field (SIBF, p = 0.001), and the ventral posteromedial nucleus (VPM) of the right thalamus (p = 0.048). HE staining showed that hippocampal pyramidal cells CUMS rats were thinner, disordered, and exhibited irregular shapes, with many pyknotic cells. The microarray chip and qRT-PCR analysis revealed that five microRNAs were significantly up-regulated [miR-382-3p (p = 0.026), miR-183-5p (p = 0.018), miR-3573-5p (p = 0.042), miR-202-3p (p = 0.016), miR-493-3p (p = 0.009)], and only miR-370-3p was significantly down-regulated (p = 0.036). miRNA target gene prediction and functional annotation analysis showed significant enrichment in several GO terms and pathways associated with depression. Our findings provide supportive evidence for the abnormal expression of multiple CUMS-induced hippocampal microRNAs in rats as well as the involvement of these microRNAs in depressive disorder.     

造模时间对慢性不可预见性刺激致大鼠抑郁模型的影响

目的研究造模时间长短对大鼠抑郁症模型建造成功率的影响。方法将240只大鼠随机平均分为4组,各组分别给予21 d、35 d、49 d、63 d慢性温和不可预见性刺激。大鼠行为学观察指标包括旷场实验、糖水消耗实验、高架十字迷宫实验、强迫游泳实验等。结果建模成功后的抑郁大鼠其旷场的水平得分、垂直得分;高架迷宫的入开臂次数、入开臂次数比例、入开臂时间和入开臂时间比例较建模前均明显下降;糖水的消耗显著降低,旷场潜伏期时间、强迫游泳静止时间显著延长。结论随着造模时间的延长,抑郁症模型的成功率增加;延长建模时间可能会提高建模成功率,为避免资源的浪费,建议造模时间选取49 d更为恰当。     

Long-Lasting Antidepressant Action of Ketamine,but Not Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 Inhibitor SB216763, in the Chronic Mild Stress Model of Mice

Background

Clinical studies demonstrate that the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, ketamine, induces rapid antidepressant effects in patients with refractive major depressive disorder and bipolar depression. This rapid onset of action makes ketamine a highly attractive drug for patients, particularly those who do not typically respond to therapy. A recent study suggested that glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3 may underlie the rapid antidepressant action of ketamine, although the precise mechanisms are unclear. In this study, we examined the effects of ketamine and GSK-3 inhibitor SB216763 in the unpredictable, chronic mild stress (CMS) mouse model of mice.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Adult C57/B6 male mice were divided into 2 groups, a non-stressed control group and the unpredictable CMS (35 days) group. Then, either vehicle, ketamine (10 mg/kg), or the established GSK-3 inhibitor, SB216763 (10 mg/kg), were administered into mice in the CMS group, while vehicle was administered to controls. In the open field test, there was no difference between the four groups (control+vehicle, CMS+vehicle, CMS+ketamine, CMS+SB216763). In the sucrose intake test, a 1% sucrose intake drop, seen in CMS mice, was significantly attenuated after a single dose of ketamine, but not SB216763. In the tail suspension test (TST) and forced swimming test (FST), the increased immobility time seen in CMS mice was significantly attenuated by a single dose of ketamine, but not SB216763. Interestingly, the ketamine-induced increase in the sucrose intake test persisted for 8 days after a single dose of ketamine. Furthermore, a single administration of ketamine, but not SB216763, significantly attenuated the immobility time of the TST and FST in the control (non-stressed) mice.

Conclusions/Significance

These findings suggest that a single administration of ketamine, but not GSK-3 inhibitor SB216763, produces a long-lasting antidepressant action in CMS model mice.     

Hydroalcoholic Extract of Rabbiteye Blueberry (Vaccinium ashei) Leaves Mitigates Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Model Inducing Depressive-Like Behavior in Rats

Several studies reported that rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei Reade) leaves present promising biological properties. To the best of our knowledge, no study investigated the possible application of their hydroalcoholic extract for treating mood disorders. Herein, we evaluated if the hydroalcoholic extract of rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium ashei Reade) leaves (HEV) promotes an antidepressant-like effect in rodents using chronic experimental approaches. The effect of repeated administration of HEV (50 mg/kg, p.o.) on the immobility time was assessed in the forced swimming test (FST) in an unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) model. Repeated treatment with HEV reversed the depressive-like behavior induced by UCMS by reducing the immobility time. Besides, the exposure to HEV caused no changes in relative organ weights in rats submitted to UCMS. The results indicated that HEV administration presented antidepressant-like action devoid of toxic effects. Thus, it is possible to suggest its potential as a safe and accessible therapeutic tool in the management of depression and other related mood disorders.     

Chronic Treatment with the IDO1 Inhibitor 1-Methyl-D-Tryptophan Minimizes the Behavioural and Biochemical Abnormalities Induced by Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress in Mice - Comparison with Fluoxetine

We demonstrated that confronting mice to the Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress (UCMS) procedure—a validated model of stress-induced depression—results in behavioural alterations and biochemical changes in the kynurenine pathway (KP), suspected to modify the glutamatergic neurotransmission through the imbalance between downstream metabolites such as 3-hydroxykynurenine, quinolinic and kynurenic acids. We showed that daily treatment with the IDO1 inhibitor 1-methyl-D-tryptophan partially rescues UCMS-induced KP alterations as does the antidepressant fluoxetine. More importantly we demonstrated that 1-methyl-D-tryptophan was able to alleviate most of the behavioural changes resulting from UCMS exposure. We also showed that both fluoxetine and 1-methyl-D-tryptophan robustly reduced peripheral levels of proinflammatory cytokines in UCMS mice suggesting that their therapeutic effects might occur through anti-inflammatory processes. KP inhibition might be involved in the positive effects of fluoxetine on mice behaviour and could be a relevant strategy to counteract depressive-like symptoms.     

Loureirin C and Xanthoceraside Attenuate Depression-Like Behaviors and Expression of Interleukin-17 in the Prefrontal Cortex Induced by Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress in Mice

Neurochemical Research - Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most prevalent and serious psychiatric disease involving inflammation. Loureirin C and Xanthoceraside are extracts of dragon’s...     

Association between Repeated Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress (UCMS) Procedures with a High Fat Diet: A Model of Fluoxetine Resistance in Mice

Major depressive disorder is a debilitating disease. Unfortunately, treatment with antidepressants (ADs) has limited therapeutic efficacy since resistance to AD is common. Research in this field is hampered by the lack of a reliable natural animal model of AD resistance. Depression resistance is related to various factors, including the attendance of cardiovascular risk factors and past depressive episodes. We aimed to design a rodent model of depression resistance to ADs, associating cardiovascular risk factors with repeated unpredicted chronic mild stress (UCMS). Male BALB/c mice were given either a regular (4% fat) or a high fat diet (45% fat) and subjected to two 7-week periods of UCMS separated by 6 weeks. From the second week of each UCMS procedure, vehicle or fluoxetine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) was administrated daily. The effects of the UCMS and fluoxetine in both diet conditions were assessed using physical (coat state and body weight) and behavioural tests (the reward maze test and the splash test). The results demonstrate that during the second procedure, UCMS induced behavioural changes, including coat state degradation, disturbances in self-care behaviour (splash test) and anhedonia (reward maze test) and these were reversed by fluoxetine in the regular diet condition. In contrast, the high-fat diet regimen prevented the AD fluoxetine from abolishing the UCMS-induced changes. In conclusion, by associating UCMS—an already validated animal model of depression—with high-fat diet regimen, we designed a naturalistic animal model of AD resistance related to a sub-nosographic clinical entity of depression.     

早期游泳运动对慢性温和应激抑郁大鼠学习和记忆能力的影响

目的:探讨早期游泳运动对慢性温和应激(chronic mild stress,CMS)大鼠学习和记忆能力的影响。方法:50只SD大鼠随机分成5组:对照组、模型组、低强度运动组、中等强度运动组、高强度运动组。运动组大鼠按照游泳运动方案运动4 w,糖水消耗实验和强迫游泳实验评价大鼠抑郁程度;Morris水迷宫实验评价大鼠学习记忆能力。结果:模型组大鼠糖水消耗量和游泳不动时间较对照组明显降低(P0.01),低强度运动组和中等强度运动组大鼠较模型组糖水消耗量和游泳不动时间明显增加(P0.05或P0.01);模型组大鼠较对照组逃避潜伏期明显延长,目标象限搜索时间占总游泳时间的百分比和目标象限穿过次数减少,体质量、双侧海马质量和海马相对质量下降(P0.05或P0.01);低强度运动组和中等强度运动组大鼠较模型组比较,潜伏期缩短明显,目标象限搜索时间占总游泳时间的百分比和目标象限穿过次数增加,体质量、双侧海马质量和海马相对质量增加(P0.05或P0.01)。结论:早期游泳运动能减轻慢性温和应激抑郁大鼠的学习记忆的损害,其中低强度和中等强度运动训练作用效果最佳。     

产前轻微应激易化由围产期注射引起的行为改变并弱化奥氮平的作用

产前母体处于应激状态下,可以削弱子代的神经系统对外界不良刺激影响的抵抗能力．但产前应激状态是否可以影响抗精神疾病药物对动物行为的增益作用,目前还没有明确的结论．此外,在动物实验中,动物需要经常接受注射操作,注射操作本身是否会影响动物行为,尚未有相关研究．在本实验中,探索了产前轻微应激状态、围产期注射操作和抗精神疾病药物对动物行为可能的交互影响．母鼠在经历产前轻微应激状态后生产子代,雄性仔鼠在围产期(日龄第7, 9, 11天)不接受注射或接受盐水或奥氮平注射(2 mg/kg,腹腔注射)．在其亚成年期(日龄第35天)和成年期(日龄第60天),观察其社交和嗅觉辨识行为,分析了总探索时间和对新旧刺激的偏好程度两个参数．我们发现,围产期重复注射操作可以改变产前应激组大鼠在社交和嗅觉辨识实验中的偏好程度,对无应激组大鼠没有影响．奥氮平注射可以增长无应激组大鼠在社交活动中的总探索时间,对应激组大鼠没有影响．研究表明,产前轻微应激状态可以易化诸如围产期注射操作等不良环境刺激导致的行为异常,并减弱抗精神疾病药物的对神经系统的影响．     

Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Attenuates Impairment of Learning and Memory in Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress-Treated Rats by Restoring Hippocampal Autophagic Flux

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a major polyphenol in green tea with beneficial effects on the impairment in learning and memory. Autophagy is a cellular process that protects neurons from stressful conditions. The present study was designed to investigate whether EGCG can rescue chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced cognitive impairment in rats and whether its protective effect involves improvement of autophagic flux. As expected, our results showed that CUMS significantly impaired memory performance and inhibited autophagic flux as indicated by elevated LC3-II and p62 protein levels. At the same time, we observed an increased neuronal loss and activated mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6k) signaling in the CA1 regions. Interestingly, chronic treatment with EGCG (25 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly improved those behavioral alterations, attenuated histopathological abnormalities in hippocampal CA1 regions, reduced amyloid beta1–42 (Aβ₁₋₄₂) levels, and restored autophagic flux. However, blocking autophagic flux with chloroquine, an inhibitor of autophagic flux, reversed these effects of EGCG. Taken together, these findings suggest that the impaired autophagy in CA1 regions of CUMS rats may contribute to learning and memory impairment. Therefore, we conclude that EGCG attenuation of CUMS-induced learning and memory impairment may be through rescuing autophagic flux.     

Antidepressant-like Effect of 3-n-Butylphthalide in Rats Exposed to Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress: Modulation of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Level and mTOR Activation in Cortex

3-n-Butylphthalide (NBP), an extract from seeds of Apium graveolens Linn. (Chinese celery), has been demonstrated to have antidepressant effects in suspension chronic-stressed rats by our group. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible involvement of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in the antidepressant mechanism of NBP. Chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) was applied for 6 weeks to induced a depressive-like behavior, characterized by decreased locomotor activity, sucrose preference and the NE, DA and 5-HT levels in cortex. Oral treatment with NBP (30 or 100 mg/kg, p.o.), similarly to fluoxetine (2 mg/kg, p.o.), can prevention of these alterations. The NBP (30 or 100 mg/kg, p.o.) reversed the decrease in the BDNF, p-ERK, mTOR and synapsin-1 protein levels in rat cortex caused by CUMS. And rapamycin, an mTOR inhibitor, completely inhibited the antidepressant-like activity of NBP in vivo. In conclusion, these findings indicate that NBP treatment attenuated the depression-like behaviors through the modulation of serotonergic system and BDNF-ERK-mTOR signaling in rat.

     

Oxidative Parameters in the Rat Brain of Chronic Mild Stress Model for Depression: Relation to Anhedonia-Like Responses

The chronic mild stress (CMS) protocol is widely used to evoke depression-like behaviors in the laboratory. Some animals exposed to CMS are resistant to the development of anhedonia, whereas the remaining are responsive, CMS-resilient and CMS-sensitive, respectively. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of chronic stress on oxidative parameters in the rat brain. The consumption of sweet food, protein and lipid oxidation levels and superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in the rat hippocampus, cortex and cerebellum were assessed. We found a significant increase in protein peroxidation (hippocampus and cortex), a significant increase in catalase activity (cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum) and a decrease in superoxide dismutase activity (cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum) in the CMS-sensitive group compared to the CMS-resilient group and normal controls as well as an increase in lipid peroxidation (cerebellum) in the CMS-sensitive and CMS-resilient groups compared to normal controls. However, there was no significant difference in protein peroxidation (cerebellum) and lipid peroxidation (cortex and hippocampus) among the three groups. In conclusion, our results indicate that the segregation into CMS-sensitive and -resilient groups based on sucrose intake is paralleled by significant differences in oxidative parameters. CMS induces oxidative damage and alterations in the activity of antioxidants which may lead to increased oxidative damage, irrespective of the anhedonia-like status of the stressed animals.     

海马NMDA受体和NOS在慢性应激性抑郁发生中的作用及其相互关系

运用慢性不可预见性温和应激（chronic unpredicted mild stress, CUMS）建立抑郁动物模型,通过海马内微量注射、动物行为学观察及免疫组织化学方法检测海马内一氧化氮合酶（nitric oxide synthase,NOS）表达的变化,探讨CUMS诱发抑郁与海马谷氨酸N-甲基-D-天冬氨酸（N-methyl-D-aspartic acid,NMDA）受体、一氧化氮合酶（nitric oxide synthase,NOS)的关系。结果发现：CUMS组大鼠表现出抑郁样行为变化,海马NOS表达显著升高;海马微量注射NMDA受体激动剂,动物行为学表现与CUMS组相同,NOS表达升高;海马微量注射非竞争性NMDA受体拮抗剂MK-801能明显改善应激引起的抑郁样行为表现,并降低海马NOS表达。这些结果表明慢性不可预见性应激可能使谷氨酸（glutamic acid,Glu）过量释放,NMDA受体过度激活,NOS高表达,NO过量产生,损伤海马神经元,导致抑郁发生。     

Ginsenoside Compound K Promotes Proliferation,Migration and Differentiation of Schwann Cells via the Activation of MEK/ERK1/2 and PI3K/AKT Pathways

The proliferation and differentiation of Schwann cells are critical for the remyelination of injured peripheral nerve. Ginsenoside compound K (CK) is a metabolite produced from ginsenoside Rb1 which has strong anti-inflammatory effects. However, the potential effects of CK on Schwann cells have not been studied systematically before. Therefore, this study was aimed to explore the functions of CK in Schwann cell proliferation, migration and differentiation and its potential regulatory mechanism. Primary Schwann cells and RSC96 cells were treated with or without CK at different doses. The proliferation and migration of primary Schwann cells and RSC96 cells were examined by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and Transwell assays, respectively. The mRNA expression of myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) and myelin basic protein (MBP) was tested by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The levels of all proteins were examined by Western blot. CK could promote cell proliferation, migration and induce MAG and MBP expression in primary Schwann cells and RSC96 cells. Furthermore, CK activated MEK/ERK1/2 and PI3K/AKT pathways, and the beneficial effects of CK on primary Schwann cells and RSC96 cells were distinctly suppressed by inhibitor PD98059 or LY294002. Ginsenoside compound K induced cell proliferation, migration and differentiation via the activation of MEK/ERK1/2 and PI3K/AKT pathways in cultured primary Schwann cells and RSC96 cells.