Zhang Yujie, Chen Jingting, Xu Jie, Yang Xiao, Wang Songhe, Zeng Yingxi, Liu Junni, Yu Jie
School of Public Health, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563000, PR China.
School of Public Health, Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, Guizhou 563000, PR China.
Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2025 Apr 15;295:118166. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2025.118166. Epub 2025 Apr 10.
Exposure to nonylphenol (NP) has been linked to depressive-like behaviors, while tea consumption is associated with a reduced risk of depression. This study investigates and compares the effects of tea polyphenols (TPs) and tea polysaccharides (TPSs) in alleviating NP-induced depressive-like behaviors, focusing on neuronal apoptosis and disrupted monoamine neurotransmitter secretion.
Thirty-two specific-pathogen-free male, Sprague-Dawley rats (age: 4 weeks) were randomly assigned to four groups: control (5 mL/kg corn oil), NP (40 mg/kg NP), NP+TPS (25 mg/kg TPS), and NP+TP (50 mg/kg TP) groups.
The NP+TP group exhibited a shorter latency period in the feeding test than the NP group. Both NP+TP and NP+TPS groups showed reduced immobility time in the tail suspension and forced swimming tests. NP accumulation in the midbrain and cortical tissues was lower in these two groups. Additionally, these groups showed an increased number of "pear-shaped" neurons and higher serum neurotransmitter levels. The NP+TP and NP+TPS groups also demonstrated increased expression of estrogen receptor β (ERβ), tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH1), tryptophan hydroxylase-2 (TPH2), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) at both protein and gene levels. These two groups also showed a progressive increase in neuron counts, a more organized arrangement, and reduced nuclear staining intensity compared with the NP group. Moreover, their IL-1β and IL-18 levels were lower, along with a reduction in Iba-1-positive microglia. The neuronal apoptosis rate, number of apoptotic cells, and expression of apoptosis-related inflammatory proteins (NLRP3, GSDMD, and Caspase-1) were also decreased in the NP+TP and NP+TPS groups.
TP and TPS mitigate NP-induced depressive-like behaviors by significantly reducing neuronal apoptosis, normalizing monoamine neurotransmitter secretion, and alleviating neuroinflammation. These findings highlight the potential of these tea components as neuroprotective agents against environmental endocrine disruptor-induced depression.
接触壬基酚（NP）与抑郁样行为有关，而饮茶与降低抑郁症风险有关。本研究调查并比较了茶多酚（TPs）和茶多糖（TPSs）在减轻NP诱导的抑郁样行为方面的作用，重点关注神经元凋亡和单胺类神经递质分泌紊乱。
将32只4周龄的无特定病原体雄性Sprague-Dawley大鼠随机分为四组：对照组（5 mL/kg玉米油）、NP组（40 mg/kg NP）、NP+TPS组（25 mg/kg TPS）和NP+TP组（50 mg/kg TP）。
NP+TP组在进食试验中的潜伏期比NP组短。NP+TP组和NP+TPS组在尾悬测试和强迫游泳测试中的不动时间均减少。这两组中脑和皮质组织中的NP积累较低。此外，这两组中“梨形”神经元数量增加，血清神经递质水平升高。NP+TP组和NP+TPS组在蛋白质和基因水平上雌激素受体β（ERβ）、色氨酸羟化酶（TPH1）、色氨酸羟化酶-2（TPH2）、5-羟色胺（5-HT）和5-羟吲哚乙酸（5-HIAA）的表达也增加。与NP组相比，这两组的神经元计数也逐渐增加，排列更有序，核染色强度降低。此外，它们的IL-1β和IL-18水平较低，Iba-1阳性小胶质细胞减少。NP+TP组和NP+TPS组的神经元凋亡率、凋亡细胞数量以及凋亡相关炎症蛋白（NLRP3、GSDMD和Caspase-1）的表达也降低。
TP和TPS通过显著减少神经元凋亡、使单胺类神经递质分泌正常化以及减轻神经炎症来减轻NP诱导的抑郁样行为。这些发现突出了这些茶成分作为针对环境内分泌干扰物诱导的抑郁症的神经保护剂的潜力。
