Effects of Wenyang jieyu decoction on PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and neurotransmitters in kidney-yang deficiency depressed rats
- VernacularTitle:温阳解郁汤对肾阳虚型抑郁大鼠PI3K/Akt信号通路及神经递质的影响
- Author:
Xuyan WANG
1
;
Xinxin WANG
1
;
Zhenyu FENG
2
;
Shuang MENG
2
;
Xiaojuan MA
2
;
Jie ZHAO
2
;
Jianping ZHAO
1
Author Information
1. College of Chinese Medicine and Food Engineering，Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine，Shanxi Jinzhong 030619，China
2. Central Laboratory，Shanxi Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine，Taiyuan 030013，China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Wenyang jieyu decoction;
depression;
kidney-yang deficiency;
PI3K/Akt signaling pathway;
neurotransmitter;
rat
- From:
China Pharmacy
2023;34(6):671-677
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of Wenyang jieyu decoction on phosphoinositide 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway and neurotransmitters in rats with kidney-yang deficiency depression. METHODS The SD rats were divided into blank group， model group， fluoxetine group （positive control of western medicine， 4.17 mg/kg）， Xiaoyao powder group （positive control of TCM， 1.88 g/kg） and Wenyang jieyu decoction low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose groups （1.25， 2.50， 5.00 g/kg）， with 15 rats in each group. Except for blank group， the other groups were treated with corticosterone 20 mg/kg subcutaneously to induce kidney-yang deficiency depressed model， meanwhile the mice were given relevant medicine intragastrically， once a day， for 28 consecutive days. The general conditions of rats were observed. The sucrose preference rate and the static time of forced swimming were detected， and organ indexes of rats were calculated. The levels/contents of neurotransmitters in serum were detected， the expressions of PI3K/Akt pathway-related proteins in hippocampus were detected， and the number of dendritic spines was determined. RESULTS Compared with blank group， model group suffered from the symptoms such as hair loss， fear of cold， curling up； sucrose preference rate， indexes of adrenal gland， thymus gland and spleen，serum levels of cyclic adenosine phosphate （cAMP）， brain-derived neurotrophic factor and gamma-aminobutyric acid， the ratio of cAMP to cyclic guanosine monophosphate， the contents of norepinephrine， dopamine and 5-hydroxy-tryptamine， the expressions of PI3K， Akt， mammalian target of rapamycin， and the number of dendritic spines in the hippocampus were significantly decreased （P＜0.01）. The time of immobility， level of glutamic acid and protein expression of glycogen synthetase kinase-3β were prolonged and increased （P＜0.01）. Compared with model group， depression symptoms of rats in each administration group were improved， and the above indexes were mostly reversed （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS Wenyang jieyu decoction can improve depression-like behavior and the deficiency of kidney-yang， regulate the secretion of neurotransmitters， and activate PI3K/Akt signaling pathway， thus playing a role in protecting hippocampal neurons.
