Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
Phytother Res. 2012 Aug;26(8):1189-94. doi: 10.1002/ptr.3706. Epub 2012 Jan 5.
Magnolol is the main constituent identified in the barks of Magnolia officinalis, which has been used for the treatment of mental disorders including depression in China. In this study, we investigated the antidepressant-like effect of magnolol, and its possible mechanisms in rats subjected to unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS). High performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) and immunohistochemical staining analysis were applied to explore the mechanisms underlying the antidepressant-like effect of magnolol. Magnolol (20, 40 mg/kg) significantly reversed UCMS-induced reduction in sucrose consumption and deficiency in locomotor activity. In addition, it was observed that administration of magnolol (20, 40 mg/kg) restored brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression, and normalized the serotonergic system changes in the UCMS-treated rats. These results confirmed the antidepressant-like effect of magnolol, which might be based primarily on its ability to increase the BDNF expression and enhance the activity of the serotonergic system in rat brains.
厚朴酚是厚朴皮中的主要成分，在中国被用于治疗精神障碍，包括抑郁症。在这项研究中，我们研究了厚朴酚对不可预测的慢性轻度应激（UCMS）大鼠的抗抑郁样作用及其可能的机制。采用高效液相色谱电化学检测法（HPLC-ECD）和免疫组织化学染色分析探讨了厚朴酚抗抑郁样作用的机制。厚朴酚（20、40mg/kg）可显著逆转 UCMS 诱导的蔗糖消耗减少和运动活性不足。此外，还观察到厚朴酚（20、40mg/kg）给药可恢复脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）的表达，并使 UCMS 处理大鼠的 5-羟色胺能系统变化正常化。这些结果证实了厚朴酚的抗抑郁样作用，其可能主要基于其增加 BDNF 表达和增强大鼠大脑 5-羟色胺能系统活性的能力。
