Ding Wanzhao, Yao Maohua, Liang Xiaoling, Wong Winghei, Yao Wei, Zhang Ji-Chun
Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Formula-Pattern Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China.
Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2025 May 15. doi: 10.1007/s00213-025-06813-y.
18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid (18β-GA) exhibits antidepressant-like effects in mice, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.
This study aimed to explore the role of serum polyunsaturated fatty acids in the antidepressant-like effects of 18β-GA.
18β-GA exerted antidepressant-like effects in mice susceptible to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). These effects were associated with increased serum levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), neuroprotectin D1 (NPD1), and N-docosahexaenoylethanolamide (DEA), alongside decreased levels of 14,15-dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acid (DHET). Additionally, 18β-GA restored the suppressed brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-tyrosine kinase B (TrkB) signaling pathway and reduced the elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in CSDS-susceptible mice.
This study demonstrates that the antidepressant-like effects of 18β-GA in CSDS-susceptible mice are closely associated with DHA and its metabolites.
18β-甘草次酸（18β-GA）在小鼠中表现出抗抑郁样作用，但其潜在机制仍不清楚。
本研究旨在探讨血清多不饱和脂肪酸在18β-GA抗抑郁样作用中的作用。
18β-GA对易受慢性社会挫败应激（CSDS）影响的小鼠具有抗抑郁样作用。这些作用与血清二十二碳六烯酸（DHA）、神经保护素D1（NPD1）和N-二十二碳六烯酰乙醇胺（DEA）水平升高以及14,15-二羟基二十碳三烯酸（DHET）水平降低有关。此外，18β-GA恢复了CSDS易感小鼠中受抑制的脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）-酪氨酸激酶B（TrkB）信号通路，并降低了升高的促炎细胞因子水平。
本研究表明，18β-GA对CSDS易感小鼠的抗抑郁样作用与DHA及其代谢产物密切相关。
