You Zhengchen, Yao Qi, Shen Jianhong, Gu Zhikai, Xu Hui, Wu Zhonghua, Chen Chuanjun, Li Luozhu
Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, Taizhou People's Hospital, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Nantong University, No. 210 Yingchun Road, Taizhou, 225300, Jiangsu, China.
Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China.
J Nat Med. 2017 Apr;71(2):367-379. doi: 10.1007/s11418-016-1066-1. Epub 2016 Dec 24.
Current antidepressants are clinically effective only after several weeks of administration. Ginsenoside Rg3 is one component of ginsenosides, with a similar chemical structure to ginsenoside Rg1. Here, we investigated the antidepressant effects of Rg3 in mouse models of depression. The antidepressant actions of Rg3 were first examined in the forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST), and then assessed in the chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) model of depression. The changes in the hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling pathway after CSDS and Rg3 treatment were investigated. A tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor and a BDNF signaling inhibitor were also used to determine the pharmacological mechanisms of Rg3. It was found that Rg3 produced antidepressant effects in the FST and TST without affecting locomotor activity. Rg3 also prevented the CSDS-induced depressive-like symptoms. Moreover, Rg3 fully restored the CSDS-induced decrease in the hippocampal BDNF signaling pathway, and use of the BDNF signaling inhibitor blocked the antidepressant effects of Rg3. In conclusion, ginsenoside Rg3 has antidepressant effects via promotion of the hippocampal BDNF signaling pathway.
目前的抗抑郁药在给药数周后才具有临床疗效。人参皂苷Rg3是人参皂苷的一种成分，其化学结构与人参皂苷Rg1相似。在此，我们研究了Rg3在抑郁症小鼠模型中的抗抑郁作用。首先在强迫游泳试验（FST）和悬尾试验（TST）中检测Rg3的抗抑郁作用，然后在慢性社会挫败应激（CSDS）抑郁症模型中进行评估。研究了CSDS和Rg3治疗后海马脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）信号通路的变化。还使用了色氨酸羟化酶抑制剂和BDNF信号抑制剂来确定Rg3的药理机制。结果发现，Rg3在FST和TST中产生抗抑郁作用，且不影响运动活性。Rg3还可预防CSDS诱导的抑郁样症状。此外，Rg3完全恢复了CSDS诱导的海马BDNF信号通路的降低，并且使用BDNF信号抑制剂可阻断Rg3的抗抑郁作用。总之，人参皂苷Rg3通过促进海马BDNF信号通路发挥抗抑郁作用。
