RESUMEN
Postmenopausal syndrome refers to symptoms caused by the gradual decrease in female hormones after mid-40 years. As a target organ of estrogen, decrease in estrogen causes various changes in brain function such as a decrease in choline acetyltransferase and brain-derived neurotrophic factor; thus, postmenopausal women experience cognitive decline and more depressive symptoms than age-matched men. Radix Polygalae has been used for memory boosting and as a mood stabilizer and its components have shown neuroprotective, antidepressant, and stress relief properties. In a mouse model of estrogen depletion induced by 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide, Radix Polygalae was orally administered for 3 weeks. In these animals, cognitive and depression-related behaviors and molecular changes related to these behaviors were measured in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Radix Polygalae improved working memory and contextual memory and despair-related behaviors in 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide-treated mice without increasing serum estradiol levels in this model. In relation to these behaviors, choline acetyltransferase and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus and bcl-2-associated athanogene expression increased in the hippocampus. These results implicate the possible benefit of Radix Polygalae in use as a supplement of estrogen to prevent conditions such as postmenopausal depression and cognitive decline.
Asunto(s)
Disfunción Cognitiva/etiología , Disfunción Cognitiva/metabolismo , Depresión/etiología , Depresión/metabolismo , Medicamentos Herbarios Chinos/farmacología , Estradiol/metabolismo , Menopausia/efectos de los fármacos , Menopausia/metabolismo , Animales , Conducta Animal , Disfunción Cognitiva/tratamiento farmacológico , Depresión/tratamiento farmacológico , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Ciclo Estral/efectos de los fármacos , Ciclo Estral/metabolismo , Femenino , Expresión Génica , Regulación de la Expresión Génica/efectos de los fármacos , Hipocampo/efectos de los fármacos , Hipocampo/metabolismo , Ratones , Corteza Prefrontal/efectos de los fármacos , Corteza Prefrontal/metabolismo , Vagina/efectos de los fármacos , Vagina/metabolismo , Vagina/patologíaRESUMEN
Chronic stress is depressogenic by altering neurotrophic and neuroinflammatory environments of the organism. The endocannabinoid system controls cognitive and emotional responses related with stress through the interaction with endocannabinoid receptors. ß-Caryophyllene (BCP) is a CB2 agonist that exhibited anti-inflammatory, analgesic effects but minimal psychoactive effects. To test if BCP exhibits antidepressant-like action, animals were chronically restrained with additional stressors for 28 days, and BCP (25, 50, 100â¯mg/kg) was intraperitoneally injected once a day during the stress inflicting period. Then despair related behaviors and hippocampal expression of neurotrophic, inflammatory and cannabinoid receptor levels were measured. To test the effect of BCP on long-term depression, field potentials were measured during the application of lipopolysaccharide and low frequency stimulation. In the tail suspension test and forced swim test, chronic stress-induced despair behaviors were reduced by BCP. Also BCP improved the stress-related changes in the hippocampal expression of COX-2, BDNF, and CB2 receptor expression. In organotypic hippocampal slices, BCP reduced the lipopolysaccharide-induced intensification of the long-term depression. In conclusion, BCP improved chronic stress related behavioral and biochemical changes. These results suggest that BCP may be effective in treating depression and stress related mental illnesses.