Ultraviolet radiation B (UVB), the most biologically active ultraviolet ray in sunlight, exert broad effects on physiological and behavioral functions, including circadian rhythm, mood, and cognition. However, its underlying mechanisms are still unknown. In this study, in order to verify effects of UVB on anxiety and social behaviors, C57BL/6 mice receiving 2 h UVB exposure after chronic restraint stress were used.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLong-term inflammation can cause chronic pain and trigger patients' anxiety by sensitizing the central nervous system. However, effective drugs with few side effects for treating chronic pain-induced anxiety are still lacking. The anxiolytic and anti-inflammatory effects of ruscogenin (RUS), an important active compound in Ophiopogon japonicus, were evaluated in a mouse model of chronic inflammatory pain and N9 cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: To assess the effect of the translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) on postpartum depression and explore its mechanism.
Methods: Postpartum depression (PPD) mouse model was established, and flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, Western blot analysis, real-time quantitative PCR, adeno-associated virus (AAV), co-immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry and immunofluorescence co-staining were used to detect the effect of TSPO ligand ZBD-2 on PPD mice.
Results: ZBD-2 inhibits the overactivation of microglia in the hippocampus and amygdala of PPD model mice.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is not recommended for treating learning and memory decline in menopausal women because it exerts adverse effects by activating classic estrogen receptors ERα and ERβ. The membrane estrogen receptor G protein-coupled receptor 30 (GPR30) has been reported to be involved in memory modulation; however, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we found that GPR30 deletion in astrocytes, but not in neurons, impaired learning and memory in female mice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAims: Microtubule inhibitors are widely used in first line cancer therapy, though drug resistance often develops and causes treatment failure. Colchicine binds to tubulins and inhibits tumor growth, but is not approved for cancer therapy due to systemic toxicity. In this study, we aim to improve the therapeutic index of colchicine through structural modification.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPosttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most common psychiatric diseases, which is characterized by the typical symptoms such as re-experience, avoidance, and hyperarousal. However, there are few drugs for PTSD treatment. In this study, conditioned fear and single-prolonged stress were employed to establish PTSD mouse model, and we investigated the effects of Tanshinone IIA (TanIIA), a natural product isolated from traditional Chinese herbal Salvia miltiorrhiza, as well as the underlying mechanisms in mice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRationale And Objectives: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by poor adaptation to a traumatic experience and disturbances in fear memory regulation, and currently lacks effective medication. Cannabidiol is a main constituent of Cannabis sativa; it has no psychotomimetic effects and has been implicated in modulating fear learning in mammals. Using a mouse PTSD model, we investigated the effects of CBD on PTSD-like behaviors and the modulation of trauma-related fear memory, a crucial process leading to core symptoms of PTSD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProg Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry
June 2018
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complicated psychiatric disorder, which occurs after exposure to a traumatic event. The main clinical manifestation of PTSD includes fear and stress dysregulation. In both animals and humans, dysregulation of dopamine function appears to be related to conditioned fear responses.
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