AI Article Synopsis
- A new mouse model of depression was created using corticosterone, a stress hormone, to study its effects.
- The study found that three weeks of corticosterone injections led to behaviors typical of depression, such as reduced interest in sugary solutions and increased time spent immobile during stress tests.
- Administration of piperine, a component of black and long pepper, showed potential antidepressant effects by reversing changes in behavior and boosting the levels of a key protein linked to brain health in the hippocampus.
Article Abstract
A mouse model of depression has been recently developed by exogenous corticosterone administration. The present study aimed to examine the antidepressant-like effect and the possible mechanisms of piperine, a major alkaloid of black pepper (Piper nigrum Linn.) and long pepper (Piper longum Linn.), in corticosterone-induced depression in mice. The results showed that 3-weeks corticosterone injections caused depression-like behavior in mice, as indicated by the significant decrease in sucrose consumption and increase in immobility time in the forced swim test and tail suspension test. Moreover, it was found that brain-derived neurotrophic factor protein and mRNA levels in the hippocampus were significantly decreased in corticosterone-treated mice. Treating the animals with piperine significantly suppressed behavioral and biochemical changes induced by corticosterone. The results suggest that piperine produces an antidepressant-like effect in corticosterone-treated mice, which is possibly mediated by increasing brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression in the hippocampus.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuint.2014.04.017 | DOI Listing |
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