Effect of Angelica Sinensis extract on depression behaviors and brain inflammatory factors in depres-sion model rats induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe the effects of Radix Angelica Sinensis ( RAS) on depression be-havior and cytokines,TNF-αand IL-6,in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of depression model rats in-duced by chronic unpredictable mild stress ( CUMS) .Methods 32 adult male rats weighting 140-160 g were randomly divided into 4 groups Control,CUMS,CUMS+fluoxetine and CUMS+RAS groups.CUMS procedure went on 5 consecutive weeks and during the last 3 weeks the rats in CUMS+fluoxetine and CUMS+RAS groups were taken RAS or fluoxetine via intragastric administration.After 5-week CUMS procedure, rats were subjected to sucrose preference test,forced swimming test and open field test.After behavioral tests were finished,all rats were anesthetized with 10%chloral hydrate (350 mg/kg,intraperitoneal injection) and then decapitated.The hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of rats were separated and ELISA was used to detect the expression of TNF-αand IL-6 in these regions.Results Comparing with control rats, rats exposed to CUMS showed decreased sucrose preference ratio((42±15)%),prolonged immobility time ((68.28±16.50) s),decreased crossing numbers (31.25±21.56) and increased TNF-α((206.14±30.53)pg/ml) and IL-6 ((369.51±103.81)pg/ml) expression in hippocampus and TNF-α((199.33±25.67)pg/ml) and IL-6 ((347.74±81.04) pg/ml) expression in prefrontal cortex ( P<0.01).However,RAS treated rats reversed the behavioral changes such as sucrose preference ratio((66±21)%),immobility time ((32.53±10.26)s) and crossing numbers ( 83.00 ±23.25 ) , meanwhile reduced TNF-α( ( 53.42 ±12.43 ) pg/ml ) and IL-6 ((93.84±13.19)pg/ml) expression in hippocampus,TNF-α((57.58±8.33)pg/ml) and IL-6((91.18± 17.37) pg/ml) expression in prefrontal cortex among stress rats ( P<0.01) .Conclusion RAS can amelio-rate CUMS induced depression behaviors of rats through regulating hippocampus and prefrontal cortex cyto-kines ( TNF-α,IL-6) .