Cited by 72Medicinal Plant Extracts EffectsTreatment of Major DepressionMedicinal Plants and Bioactive Compounds

BDNF and COX-2 participate in anti-depressive mechanisms of catalpol in rats undergoing chronic unpredictable mild stress

Wang, Jun-Ming, Yang, Lian-He, Zhang, Yue-Yue, Niu, Chun-Ling, Cui, Ying, Feng, Wei-Sheng, Wang, Gui-Fang·2015·Physiology & Behavior

Abstract

Catalpol, a major compound in Rehmannia glutinosa with both medicinal and nutritional values, has been previously confirmed to shorten the duration of immobility in mice exposed to tail suspension and forced swimming tests. This study attempted to examine the anti-depressive mechanisms of catalpol in rats undergoing chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) by involving brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). CUMS-exposed rats were given catalpol daily (5, 10, and 20mg/kg, ig) or a reference drug, fluoxetine hydrochloride (FH, 10mg/kg, ig), at 5 weeks after starting the CUMS procedure. Sucrose preference test was performed to observe depression-like behavior, and serum and brain tissues were used for neurochemical and fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription PCR analysis. CUMS induced depression-like behavior, whereas catalpol and FH administration attenuated this symptom. Moreover, CUMS caused excessively elevated levels of serum corticosterone, an index of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hyperactivation, in a manner attenuated by catalpol and FH administration. Catalpol administration also further decreased BDNF activities, downregulated the mRNA expression of BDNF and tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB), and reversed the excessive elevation in the activities and mRNA expression levels of COX-2 and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in the hippocampus and frontal cortex of rats undergoing CUMS. Results indicate that catalpol can ameliorate CUMS-induced depression-like behavior, and suggest its mechanisms may partially be ascribed to restoring HPA axis dysfunctions, upregulating BDNF expression and its cognate receptor TrkB, and downregulating COX-2 expression, thereby reducing PGE2 levels in the brain.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.08.008

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  • Higher BDNF expression is implicated in long-term potentiation of neurons and synaptic plasticity.

    “In terms of cognitive processes, higher levels of BDNF expression have been implicated in long-term potentiation of neurons and synaptic plasticity, which may explain why higher levels of BDNF expression are associated with enhanced spatial and verbal memory and recognition capabilities, and may also counteract the effects of chronic stress and cognitive decline (Korte et al., 1995; Voss et al., 2”

    From Exercise-Mediated Neurogenesis in the Hippocampus via BDNF (2018) · cites this paper as Wang et al., 2015

  • Higher BDNF expression is associated with enhanced spatial and verbal memory and recognition capabilities, and may counteract chronic stress and cognitive decline.

    “In terms of cognitive processes, higher levels of BDNF expression have been implicated in long-term potentiation of neurons and synaptic plasticity, which may explain why higher levels of BDNF expression are associated with enhanced spatial and verbal memory and recognition capabilities, and may also counteract the effects of chronic stress and cognitive decline (Korte et al., 1995; Voss et al., 2”

    From Exercise-Mediated Neurogenesis in the Hippocampus via BDNF (2018) · cites this paper as Wang et al., 2015

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Authors
Wang, J.-M., Yang, L.-H., Zhang, Y.-Y., Niu, C.-L., Cui, Y., Feng, W.-S., & Wang, G.-F.
Affiliations
Henan University of Chinese Medicine (CN)
Corresponding author
Wang, Jun-Ming
Venue
Physiology & Behavior
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2015-11
Volume
151
Pages
360-368
ISSN
0031-9384 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1118713512
Cited by
72
References
76
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 4
FWCI
14.97
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Physiology & Behavior (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Science & Technology Pillar Program of China (2011BAI06B02)
  • Funding Scheme for Young Key Teachers of Colleges and Universities in Henan Province (2014GGJS-072)
  • Provincial Fundamental Research Fund in Henan University of Chinese Medicine (2014KYYWF-QN01)
  • National Science Foundation for Post-doctoral Scientists of China (2012M521412)
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (81473368)
  • Innovation Program for Science & Technology Leading Talents of Zhengzhou City in China's Henan Province (121PLJRC534)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Medicinal Plant Extracts Effects
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Treatment of Major Depression
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Medicinal Plants and Bioactive Compounds
Keywords
catalpol, Rehmannia glutinosa, depression, chronic unpredictable mild stress, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, TrkB, cyclooxygenase-2, prostaglandin E2, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, corticosterone, fluoxetine, hippocampus, frontal cortex, antidepressant mechanism
MeSH terms
Animals, Antidepressive Agents, Body Weight, Brain, Depression, Disease Models, Animal, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Food Preferences, Gene Expression Regulation, Hydrocortisone, Male, Stress, Psychological, Sucrose, Dinoprostone, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Receptor, trkB, Rats, Cyclooxygenase 2, Iridoid Glucosides

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