Alliance for Research on the Mediterranean and North Africa (ARENA), University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8572, Japan.
Interdisciplinary Research Center for Catalytic Chemistry, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), AIST Tsukuba Central 5-2, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8565, Japan.
Mol Nutr Food Res. 2019 Oct;63(19):e1900327. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201900327. Epub 2019 Aug 22.
Ferulic acid (FA), a natural phenolic phytochemical abundantly present in whole grains, herbs, and dried fruits, exhibits anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects. In the present study, the antidepressant-like effects of FA in male ICR mice using tail suspension test (TST) are investigated and its molecular mechanisms are explored.
Oral administration of FA at a dose of 5 mg kg for 7 days significantly reduces immobility of mice compared to vehicle-administered control group. Microarray and real-time PCR analyses reveal that FA upregulates the expression of several genes associated with cell survival and proliferation, energy metabolism, and dopamine synthesis in mice limbic system of brain. Interestingly, it is found that FA, unlike antidepressant drug bupropion, strongly promotes energy metabolism. Additionally, FA increases catecholamine (dopamine and noradrenaline), brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and ATP levels, and decreases glycogen levels in the limbic system of the mice brain.
The research provides the first evidence that FA enhances energy production, which can be the underlying mechanism of the antidepressant-like effects of FA observed in this study.
阿魏酸（FA）是一种天然的酚类植物化学物质，广泛存在于全谷物、草药和干果中，具有抗炎、抗氧化和神经保护作用。本研究采用悬尾试验（TST）研究了 FA 对雄性 ICR 小鼠的抗抑郁样作用，并探讨了其分子机制。
与给予载体的对照组相比，FA 以 5mg/kg 的剂量口服给药 7 天可显著减少小鼠的不动性。微阵列和实时 PCR 分析显示，FA 上调了与细胞存活和增殖、能量代谢和多巴胺合成相关的几种基因在小鼠大脑边缘系统中的表达。有趣的是，与抗抑郁药安非他酮不同，FA 强烈促进能量代谢。此外，FA 增加了儿茶酚胺（多巴胺和去甲肾上腺素）、脑源性神经营养因子和 ATP 水平，并降低了小鼠大脑边缘系统中的糖原水平。
该研究首次提供了 FA 增强能量产生的证据，这可能是本研究中观察到的 FA 抗抑郁样作用的潜在机制。
