Mechanism underlying the antidepressant effect of Fructus Aurantii

Abstract

Abstract: AIM: To explore the mechanism underlying antidepressant effect of Fructus Aurantii on chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model of depression in rats.METHODS: The depression animal model was induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress. Sucrose preference test and forced swimming test were measured to assess the depressive behaviors. Moreover, stomach emptying rate and intestines push movement were measured to test the gastric motility. In addition, the serum cortisol was measured by ELISA, mRNA expressions of glucocorticoid receptors (GR), alocorticoid receptors (MR) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in rat brain were tested by RT-PCR.RESULTS: Fructus Aurantii, at dosage of 10, 20 g/kg body weight, significantly increased sucrose preference, prolonged immobility time in forced swimming test, and improved gastric motility. In addition, Fructus Aurantii also increased the expression of GR mRNA expression in hippocampus, and BDNF mRNA expression in hippocampus and cortex of CUMS rats.CONCLUSION: Fructus Aurantii exhibits antidepressant effect via improving gastrointestinal function in rats, attenuating the stimulated function of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and activating brain-derived neurotrophic factor in CUMS rat model of depression.

Key words: CUMS, Fructus Aurantii, Glucocorticoid receptor, Brain derived neurotrophic factor

CLC Number:

R965.2

XU Ying, FENG Jie, GUO Jian-you. Mechanism underlying the antidepressant effect of Fructus Aurantii[J]. Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 2013, 18(10): 1086-1092.

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