• 동의신경정신과학회지
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• 제15권1호
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• pp.101-119
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• 2004

Ginseng Radix Alba and Cyperi Rhizoma were investigated for their anti-depressant effects. For this purpose, forced-swimming test, tail suspension test, hot plate test, reserpine-induced hypothermia, aggressive behavior test were performed. In addition, the brain content of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid(a metabolite of serotonin), the monoamine oxidase activity, anticonvulsant effect, sleep enhancement effect were determined. The results are as follows: In the forced swimming test, Ginseng Radix diminished the duration of immobility by 45.5% compared to the control group, while Cyperi Rhizoma showed weaker effect (12.4% reduction) at 2g/kg. In the tail suspension test, the effect of Ginseng Radix(43.7% reduction) are also better than that of Cyperi Rhizoma(15.6% reduction) at 2g/kg. In the hot plate test, Ginseng Radix showed no difference as compared to control, while Cyperi Rhizoma increased the jump latency time by about 25% after administration for 10 days. In the reserpine-induced hypothermia test, both drugs slowly dropped the body temperature compared to the control group, especially the rate of hypothermia of Ginseng Radix was 24.0% at 1g/kg. In the aggressive behavior test, both drugs delayed the onset time, decreased the duration and frequency, of which effects were better in Cyperi Rhizoma. The content of 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid in mice brain was slightly increased in Ginseng Radix, while Cyperi Rhizoma increased its level almost to the control group. Both drugs inhibited the monoamine oxidase activity in a dose-dependent manner, but the effect(51.2%) of Cyperi Rhizoma was more potent than the effect(11.8%) of Ginseng Radix. In the pentobarbital-induced sleep test, Cyperi Rhizoma exhibited no significant difference against the control group, while Ginseng Radix showed about two-fold enhancement at 2g/kg. The anticonvulsant effect of both drugs delayed the onset time, shortened the duration of convulsion and diminished the lethality, but Ginseng Radix were better than Cyperi Rhizoma.

• 동의신경정신과학회지
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.171-183
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• 2005

Objective : The Korean famous medicinal prescription of Subi-jeon was investigated for their antidepressant effects by tail suspension test, hot plate test, reserpine-induced hypothermia test. In addition, the monoamine oxidase activity was determined in vivo. Methods : The methanol extract reduced dose-dependently the duration of immobility in the tail suspension test, by 31.4 and 34%(p<0.05) at doses of 500mg/kg and 1g/kg, respectively, compared with control group. In comparison with this, the effect of the water extract was very weak. Results : 1. In the hot plate test, the methanol extract potently increased the jump latency time(p<0.05) compared to the control group, exhibiting the inhibition rate of 197% and 256% at doses of 500mg/kg and 1g/kg(per os), respectively, which is more effective than the water extract. 2. Both extracts suppressed the fall of body temperature induced by reserpine(reserpine-induced hypothermia) in a dose-dependent manner, showing the less effect at lower doses and better effect at higher doses compared to the water extract. 3. Both extracts inhibited the brain monoamine oxidase activity in an in vivo assay compared to the control group, the activity of water extract was better than that of the methanol extract. Conclusion : The prescription of Subi-jeon can be useful for the prevention and treatment of depression.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.36-44
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• 2023

Essential oils and aromatherapy have traditionally been used for the treatment of anxiety and depression with few side effects. This study aimed to investigate the effects of essential oils from six herbal prescriptions known to be effective in treating anxiety and depression in Korean medicine. The neuroprotective and anti-neuroinflammatory effects of six essential oils, including Gamisachil-tang (GMSCT), Guibi-tang (GBT), Sihogayonggolmoryeo-tang (SYM), Danchisoyosan (DCSYS), Sihosogansan (SHSGS), and Soyosan (SYS), were examined in PC12 and BV2 cells. In corticosterone (CORT)-stimulated PC12 cells, all six essential oils ameliorated the CORT-induced decrease in cell viability at a concentration of 10 ㎍/ml. GMSCT, GBT, and SHSGS recovered CORT-induced cytotoxicity at concentrations of 1 ㎍/ml and 10 ㎍/ml. In lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV2 cells, GBT (10 ㎍/ml) decreased interleukin (IL)-1β production, whereas SHSGS (1 ㎍/ml) inhibited tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α production. In the MK-801-induced anxiety in zebrafish, electroencephalogram (EEG) assessment indicated that GMSCT and SHSGS induced recovery in the delta and beta power densities and reduced theta/beta and delta/beta ratios. DCSYS and SYS decreased theta power density and theta/beta ratio, whereas GBT and SYM showed no effects on EEG signals. In the tail suspension test (TST) in mice, GBT, DCSYS, SHSGS, and SYS exhibited antidepressant-like effects by decreasing immobility time. These results suggest that the essential oils from the six herbal prescriptions, except SYM, may have beneficial effects on anxiety and/or depression. Further studies should be conducted to investigate the molecular signaling pathways that mediate the effects of these essential oils on anxiety and depression.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.620-624
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• 2011

In recent years, the study of self-assembly peptide used in drug delivery system has been attracted great interest from scientists. In the category are self-assembly peptides in the structure either with one hydrophobic surface and another hydrophilic or a hydrophobic head and a hydrophilic tail. Here, we focus on a novel designed peptide EYK with double amphiphilic surfaces, investigating on the capability of peptide as a carrier for hydrophobic compound model pyrene. The fluorescence data presented the dynamic process of the transfer, showing that the pyrene was in the crystalline form in peptide solution, and molecularly migrated from its peptide encapsulations into the membrane bilayers when the peptide-pyrene suspension was mixed with liposome vesicles. The results indicated that the peptide EYK could stabilize hydrophobic pyrene in aqueous solution and delivered it into EPC liposome as a potential carrier.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제18권5호
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• pp.365-369
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• 2014

Cedrus deodara (Pinaceae) has been used traditionally in Ayurveda for the treatment of central nervous system disorders. 3,4-bis(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)furan-2,5-dione (BDFD) was isolated from heart wood of Cedrus deodara and was shown to have antiepileptic and anxiolytic activity. Thus, the present study was aimed to explore its anti-depressant effect and to correlate the effect with serotonin and nor adrenaline levels of brain. Albino mice were used as experimental animal. Animals were divided in to three groups; vehicle control, imipramine (30 mg/kg i.p.), BDFD (100 mg/kg i.p.). Tail suspension test (TST) and forced swim test (FST) was performed to evaluate antidepressant effect of BDFD. BDFD (100 mg/kg, i.p.) showed a significant decrease in immobility time when subjected to FST whereas immobility time was not significantly altered in TST. BDFD treatment increased serotonin and noradrenaline levels in the brain which is indicative of BDFD having possible atypical antidepressant action.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.245-250
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• 2015

Silibinin, a natural flavonoid antioxidant isolated from extracts of the milk thistle herb, has recently been identified as having anti-hepatotoxic and anticancer properties. In this paper, we investigated the effects of silibinin on behavior and neuroplasticity in mice subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). After 5 consecutive weeks of CUMS, the mice were treated with silibinin (100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg by oral gavage) for 3 consecutive weeks. The results showed that silibinin administration significantly alleviated the CUMS-induced depressive-like behavior, including the total number of squares crossed and the frequency of rearing in the open field test, the immobility time in the tail suspension test and the forced swimming test. Furthermore, silibinin treatment increased the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE) in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Our study provides new insight into the protective effects of silibinin on the depressive status of CUMS mice, specifically by improving neuroplasticity and neurotransmission.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제24권3호
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• pp.291-297
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• 2016

Cytisine (CYT), a partial agonist of ${\alpha}4{\beta}2-nicotinic$ receptors, has been used for antidepressant efficacy in several tests. Nicotinic receptors have been shown to be closely associated with depression. However, little is known about the effects of CYT on the depression. In the present study, a mouse model of depression, the unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS), was used to evaluate the activities of CYT. UCMS caused significant depression-like behaviors, as shown by the decrease of total distances in open field test, and the prolonged duration of immobility in tail suspension test and forced swimming test. Treatment with CYT for two weeks notably relieved the depression-like behaviors in the UCMS mice. Next, proteins related to depressive disorder in the brain region of hippocampus and amygdala were analyzed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of CYT. CYT significantly reversed the decreases of 5-HT1A, BDNF, and mTOR levels in the hippocampus and amygdala. These results imply that CYT may act as a potential anti-depressant in the animals under chronic stress.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제17권5호
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• pp.441-446
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• 2013

In the present study, the anti-depressant like effect of methyl gallate (MG) isolated from the stem bark of Acer barbinerve was examined in ICR mice. Body weight (BDW) and blood glucose (BDG) levels significantly decreased in the repeated restraint stress (RRS) group (2 h/day for 14 days) compared to the no stress (NS) group. To examine the effect of MG on RS-induced BDW loss and hypoglycemia, MG (10 mg/kg) and the anti-depressant fluoxetine (10 mg/kg) were administered daily for 14 days. Orally administered MG and fluoxetine significantly attenuated the RS-induced BDW loss and hypoglycemia. Interestingly, MG administered mice showed increased BDG levels in the normal and glucose feeding condition. Chronic RS-subjected mice showed immobilized and depressed behaviors. The effect of MG on the depressed behaviors was evaluated using the tail-suspension test (TST) and the forced swimming test (FST). In both tests, RS-induced immobilized behaviors were significantly reversed in MG and fluoxetine administered groups. Taken together, MG significantly attenuated the RS-induced BDW loss, hypoglycemia, and depressed behaviors. Considering that decreased BDG levels (hypoglycemia) can cause depression, MG may exert its anti-depressant like effect by preventing hypoglycemia. Our results suggest that MG isolated from A. barbinerve can exert anti-depressant like effect, and could be used as a new and natural anti-depressant therapy.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제13권5호
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• pp.357-360
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• 2009

It is hypothesized that a number of environmental factors affect animals' behavior. Without controlling these variables, it is very hard for researchers to get not only reliable, but replicable data from various behavioral experiments testing animals' cognitive as well as emotional functions. For example, laboratory mice which had restricted environment showed different synaptic potentiation properties with wild mice (Zhao MG et al., 2009). While performing behavioral experiments, however, it is sometimes inevitable that the researcher changes the animals' environments, as by switching the cages in which experimental animals are housed and separating animals raised together into small experimental groups. In this study, we investigated the effect of environmental changes on mice's emotional behaviors by socially isolating them or reducing the size of their cage. We found that social isolation selectively increases the animals' levels of anxiety, while leaving depression-like behaviors unchanged. On the other hand, alteration of the housing dimensions affected neither their anxiety levels nor their depression-like behaviors. These results suggest that environmental variables may have a prominent impact on experimental animals' emotional behaviors and possibly their psychological states, leading to bias in the behavioral data produced from experiments.

• 대한약침학회지
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.257-264
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• 2017

Introduction: Pharmacopuncture, which combines acupuncture with herbal medicine, is one of the newly developed acupuncture techniques that has recently been put into use. The possible mechanisms of scolopendra pharmacopuncture, as well as its potential effects on depressive symptoms, were investigated in this study by using a mouse model of chronic immobilization stress (CIS). Methods: C57BL/6 male mice were randomly assigned into three groups: mice not stressed with restraint and injected with distilled water, mice stressed with restraint and injected with distilled water, and mice stressed with restraint injected with scolopendra pharmacopuncture at a cervical site. Behavioral tests (an open field test, tail suspension test, and forced swimming test) were carried out after two weeks of CIS and injection treatments. The expression levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the hippocampus were determined by using western blot and immunohistochemistry analyses. Results: Mice exposed to CIS showed decreased behavioral activity, while scolopendra pharmacopuncture treatment significantly protected against the depressive-like behaviors induced by CIS. Moreover, scolopendra pharmacopuncture treatment increased GFAP protein levels in the hippocampi of the mice stressed by chronic immobilization. Conclusion: Scolopendra pharmacopuncture has an ameliorating effect on depressive behavior, which is partially mediated through protection against glial loss in the hippocampus.