The antidepressant effect of secoisolariciresinol, a lignan-type phytoestrogen constituent of flaxseed, on ovariectomized mice.

Secoisolariciresinol (SECO) is a natural lignan-type phytoestrogen constituent mainly found in flaxseed. It can be metabolized in vivo to mammalian lignans of enterodiol and enterolactone, which have been proven to be effective in relieving menopausal syndrome. Depression is one of the most common symptoms of menopausal syndrome, and is currently treated with estrogen replacement and antidepressant therapy.

Antidepressant-like effect of low molecular proanthocyanidin in mice: involvement of monoaminergic system.

Proanthocyanidin is a phenolic product present in plants which has antioxidant, antinociceptive and neuroprotective properties, without inducing significant toxicological effects. The present study tested the hypothesis that low molecular proanthocyanidin from grapes that has optimized bioavailability, would exert antidepressant-like activities in behavioral despair tests. The results suggested that oral administration proanthocyanidin at doses of 25 and 50mg/kg for 7days significantly reduced the duration of immobility in both the tail suspension and forced swimming tests.

[Antidepressant effect of acute administration with Jianyate Hao (JYTH) and its possible mechanism].

Objective: Jianyate Hao (JYTH) , a traditional Chinese medicine formula, which has been used effectively to treat depression in the past ten years. The purpose of this study was to explore the antidepressant effect of acute administration with JYTH and its possible mechanism.

Method: the animals behavioral despair models of depression, the tail suspension and forced swimming tests, were used to explore the antidepressant effects of JYTH.

Curcumin reverses impaired hippocampal neurogenesis and increases serotonin receptor 1A mRNA and brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in chronically stressed rats.

Curcuma longa is a major constituent of Xiaoyao-san, the traditional Chinese medicine, which has been used to effectively manage stress and depression-related disorders in China. As the active component of curcuma longa, curcumin possesses many therapeutic properties; we have previously described its antidepressant activity in our earlier studies using the chronic unpredictable stress model of depression in rats. Recent studies show that stress-induced damage to hippocampal neurons may contribute to the phathophysiology of depression.

Curcumin reverses the effects of chronic stress on behavior, the HPA axis, BDNF expression and phosphorylation of CREB.

Curcuma longa is a major constituent of the traditional Chinese medicine Xiaoyao-san, which has been used to effectively manage stress and depression-related disorders in China. Curcumin is the active component of curcuma longa, and its antidepressant effects were described in our prior studies in mouse models of behavioral despair. We hypothesized that curcumin may also alleviate stress-induced depressive-like behaviors and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction.

Antidepressant effects of curcumin in the forced swim test and olfactory bulbectomy models of depression in rats.

Curcuma longa is a major constituent of Xiaoyao-san, the traditional Chinese medicinal formula, which has been used to effectively manage stress and depression-related disorders in China. Curcumin is the active component of curcuma longa, and we hypothesized that curcumin would have an influence on depressive-like behaviors. The purpose of the present study was to confirm the putative antidepressant effect of chronic administrations of curcumin (1.

The effects of curcumin on depressive-like behaviors in mice.

Curcuma longa is a major constituent of Xiaoyao-san, the traditional Chinese medicinal formula, which has been used effectively to treat depression-related diseases in China. There is no information available about the antidepressant activity of curcumin, the active component of curcuma longa. In the present study, we analyzed the effects of curcumin on depressive-like behaviors in mice, using two animal models of depression.

Tetrandrine, a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid from Chinese herb Radix, augmented the hypnotic effect of pentobarbital through serotonergic system.

This is the first study of hypnotic activity of tetrandrine (a major component of Stephania tetrandrae) in mice by using synergism with pentobarbital as an index for the hypnotic effect. The results showed that tetrandrine potentiated pentobarbital (45 mg/kg, i.p.

Inhibitory effects of tetrandrine on the serum- and platelet-derived growth factor-BB-induced proliferation of rat aortic smooth muscle cells through inhibition of cell cycle progression, DNA synthesis, ERK1/2 activation and c-fos expression.

Tetrandrine (TET) is a well known naturally occurred nonspecific Ca(2+) channel blocker. It has long been used for the treatment of arrhythmia, hypertension, and occlusive cardiovascular disorders. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of TET on the proliferation of primary cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMCs).

Fangchinoline inhibits rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and cell cycle progression through inhibition of ERK1/2 activation and c-fos expression.

Fangchinoline (FAN; a plant alkaloid isolated from Stephania tetrandrae) is a nonspecific Ca(2+) channel blocker. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of FAN on the growth factor-induced proliferation of primary cultured rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMCs). FAN significantly inhibited both 5% fetal bovine serum (FBS)- and 50ng/mL platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB-induced proliferation, [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA and phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2.

In vitro inhibitory effects of bergenin and norbergenin on bovine adrenal tyrosine hydroxylase.

The aqueous extract of Mallotus japonicus (Euphorbiaceae) showed an inhibitory effect on bovine adrenal tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of catecholamine. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of bergenin and norbergenin, constituents of the aqueous extract of Mallotus japonicus on bovine adrenal TH. Bergenin and norbergenin inhibited the TH activity by 29.

Neuroprotective effect of L-lysine monohydrochloride on acute iterative anoxia in rats with quantitative analysis of electrocorticogram.

Lysine is one of the indispensible amino acids and L-lysine monohydrochloride (LMH) is widely available to public as a nonprescription oral supplement. Potential clinical usefulness of oral LMH supplements has been indicated in stroke, hypertension, and seizure induced by pentylenetetrazole (PTZ), etc. We compared the effects of LMH and flunarizine on the Electrocorticogram (EcoG) of rats intragastrically administered 1 hour before anoxia.