Hosseini Mahmoud, Zakeri Samaneh, Khoshdast Sadieh, Yousefian Fatemeh T, Rastegar Monireh, Vafaee Farzaneh, Kahdouee Shamsi, Ghorbani Fatemeh, Rakhshandeh Hassan, Kazemi S Abolfazl
Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
J Pharm Bioallied Sci. 2012 Jul;4(3):219-25. doi: 10.4103/0975-7406.99052.
Neuroimmune factors have been proposed as contributors to the pathogenesis of depression. Beside other therapeutic effects including neuroprotective, antioxidant, anticonvulsant and analgesic effects, Nigella sativa and its main ingredient, thymoquinone (TQ), have been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects. In the present study, the effects of Nigella sativa hydro-alcoholic extract and thymoquinone was investigated on lipopolysaccharide- induced depression like behavior in rats.
50 male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups: Group 1 (control group) received saline instead of NS extract, thymoquinone or lipopolysaccharide. The animals in group 2 (lipopolysaccharide (LPS)) were treated by saline instead of NS extract and were injected LPS (100μg/kg, ip) 2 hours before conducting each forced swimming test. Groups 3 (LPS + NS 200) and 4 (LPS + NS 400) were treated by 200 and 400 mg/kg of NS (ip), respectively, from the day before starting the experiments and before each forced swimming test. These animals were also injected LPS 2hours before conducting each swimming test. The animals in group 5 received TQ instead of NS extract. Forced swimming test was performed 3 times for all groups (in alternative days), and immobility time was recorded. Finally, the animals were placed in an open- field apparatus, and the crossing number on peripheral and central areas was observed.
The immobility time in the LPS group was higher than that in the control group in all 3 times (P<0.001). The animals in LPS + NS 200, LPS + NS 400 and LPS + TQ had lower immobility times in comparison with LPS groups (P<0.01, and P<0.01). In the open- field test, the crossing number of peripheral in the LPS group was higher than that of the control one (P<0.01) while the animals of LPS + NS 200, LPS + NS 400 and LPS + TQ groups had lower crossing number of peripheral compared with the LPS group (P <0.05, and P<0.001). Furthermore, in the LPS group, the central crossing number was lower than that of the control group (P<0.01). In the animals treated by NS or TQ, the central crossing number was higher than that of the LPS group (P<0.05, and P<0.001).
The results of the present study showed that hydro-alcoholic extract of Nigella sativa can prevent LPS-induced depression like behavior in rats. These results support the traditional belief on the beneficial effects of Nigella sativa in the nervous system. Moreover, further investigations are required in order to better understand this protective effect.
神经免疫因素被认为是抑郁症发病机制的促成因素。除了具有神经保护、抗氧化、抗惊厥和镇痛等其他治疗作用外，黑种草及其主要成分百里醌（TQ）已被证明具有抗炎作用。在本研究中，研究了黑种草水醇提取物和百里醌对脂多糖诱导的大鼠抑郁样行为的影响。
50只雄性Wistar大鼠分为5组：第1组（对照组）给予生理盐水而非黑种草提取物、百里醌或脂多糖。第2组（脂多糖（LPS）组）的动物用生理盐水代替黑种草提取物处理，并在每次强迫游泳试验前2小时腹腔注射LPS（100μg/kg）。第3组（LPS + NS 200）和第4组（LPS + NS 400）分别从实验开始前一天和每次强迫游泳试验前，按200和400 mg/kg的剂量腹腔注射黑种草提取物。这些动物在每次游泳试验前2小时也注射LPS。第5组的动物接受百里醌而非黑种草提取物。所有组均进行3次强迫游泳试验（隔日进行），并记录不动时间。最后，将动物置于旷场装置中，观察其在周边区域和中央区域的穿越次数。
LPS组在所有3次试验中的不动时间均高于对照组（P<0.001）。与LPS组相比，LPS + NS 200、LPS + NS 400和LPS + TQ组的动物不动时间较短（P<0.01和P<0.01）。在旷场试验中，LPS组周边区域的穿越次数高于对照组（P<0.01），而LPS + NS 200、LPS + NS 400和LPS + TQ组的动物周边区域穿越次数低于LPS组（P<0.05和P<0.001）。此外，LPS组中央区域的穿越次数低于对照组（P<0.01）。在接受黑种草提取物或百里醌处理的动物中，中央区域的穿越次数高于LPS组（P<0.05和P<0.001）。
本研究结果表明，黑种草水醇提取物可预防脂多糖诱导的大鼠抑郁样行为。这些结果支持了关于黑种草对神经系统有益作用的传统观点。此外，需要进一步研究以更好地理解这种保护作用。
