1.Exploring Therapeutic Effect of Yuejuwan on Depressed Mice Based on Lipidomics
Zhentao ZHANG ; Dan SU ; Huizhen LI ; Yonggui SONG ; Huanhua XU ; Meixizi LAI ; Zhifu AI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(1):85-94
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Yuejuwan on lipid metabolism in serum, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of depressed mice based on lipidomics, and to explore the potential pathways for improving lipid metabolism to prevent depression. MethodsSeven-week-old C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into blank group, model group, Yuejuwan group(3.6 g·kg-1) and fluoxetine group(10 mg·kg-1), and chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS) was used to establish the depression model. After 3 weeks of modeling, each administration group was gavaged with the corresponding drug solution according to the dose, and mice in the blank and model groups were given an equal volume of deionised water by gavage, one time/d for 2 weeks. After administration, the antidepressant effect of Yuejuwan was evaluated by neurobehavioral indices such as sucrose preference test, open field test, tail suspension test and forced swimming test. An automatic biochemical analyzer was used to measure contents of total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C), aspartate aminotransferase(AST) and alanine aminotransferase(ALT) in mouse serum. Lipidomic analysis of mouse serum, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus was performed based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography-linear ion trap-electrostatic field orbitrap mass spectrometry(UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap-MS), and the expression of mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR), ribosomal protein S6 kinase(S6K), phosphorylation(p)-mTOR, p-S6K in gastric tissues of mice was detected by Western blot. ResultsCompared with the blank group, mice in the model group exhibited significantly reduced sucrose preference rate and center movement time in the open field test(P<0.01), the immobility times in the tail suspension test and forced swimming test were significantly increased(P<0.01), and serum levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, HDL-C, AST and ALT were significantly elevated(P<0.05, P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the Yuejuwan group showed a significant increase in the sucrose preference rate and center movement time in the open field test(P<0.01), the immobility times in the tail suspension test and forced swimming test were significantly reduced(P<0.01), and the serum levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, AST and ALT were significantly decreased(P<0.05, P<0.01). Lipidomic analysis revealed that Yuejuwan had a significant effect on lipid metabolism in serum, prefrontal cortex and hippocampus of depressed mice, and The differential lipid metabolites were mainly enriched in the metabolic pathways of glycerophospholipid metabolism, sphingolipid signaling, and glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein biosynthesis, among which the glycerophospholipid metabolic pathway was the most significant. Western blot results showed that compared with the blank group, the relative expression levels of p-mTOR/mTOR and p-S6K/S6K in the gastric tissues of mice in the model group were significantly increased(P<0.01). In comparison with the model group, the relative expression levels of p-mTOR/mTOR and p-S6K/S6K in the gastric tissues of mice in the Yuejuwan group were significantly decreased(P<0.01). ConclusionThe intervention of Yuejuwan on lipid metabolism is one of the potential pathways for its antidepressant effect, which may be related to the regulation of mTOR/S6K signaling pathway upstream of lipid metabolism in the gastric tissues.
2.Screening of Antidepressant Active Components from Curcumae Rhizoma and Its Mechanism in Regulating Nrf2/GPX4/GSH Pathway
Yonggui SONG ; Delin DUAN ; Meixizi LAI ; Yali LIU ; Zhifu AI ; Genhua ZHU ; Huanhua XU ; Qin ZHENG ; Ming YANG ; Dan SU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(6):211-221
ObjectiveTo screen and evaluate the antidepressant compounds of Curcumae Rhizoma, and explore its mechanism of regulating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)/glutathione(GSH) peroxidase 4(GPX4)/GSH pathway from an antioxidant perspective. MethodsThe antioxidant activities in vitro of 11 characteristic components from Curcumae Rhizoma, including curcumol, curgerenone, curdione, curzerene, curcumenol, curcumenone, dehydrocurdione, isocurcumenol, furanodienone, furanodiene and zederone, were detected using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH) and 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) diammonium salt(ABTS) radical scavenging assays. The depression in Drosophila melanogaster was induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS), and W1118 wild-type male D. melanogaster were randomly divided into blank group, model group, curcumol group, curgerenone group, curdione group, curzerene group, curcumenol group,curcumenone group, dehydrocurdione group, isocurcumenol group, furanodienone group, furanodiene group, zederone group and fluoxetine group(10 μmol·L-1). The treatment groups received a dose of 0.1 g·L-1 of 11 characteristic components from Curcumae Rhizoma, while the blank and model groups were administered equivalent volumes of solvent. The sucrose preference test, climbing test and forced swimming test were used to evaluate the behavioral indicators of depression in D. melanogaster. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS) was used to detect the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT) and dopamine(DA) in the brain of D. melanogaster, and the entropy weight method was used to comprehensively evaluate neurobehavioral and neurotransmitter indicators, resulting in the identification of the antidepressant active components of Curcumae Rhizoma. In addition, a mouse depression model was established by CUMS, and C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into blank group, model group, low and high dose groups of curzerene(0.5, 1 mg·kg-1), and fluoxetine group(10 mg·kg-1) to confirm the antidepressant effect of the optimal active ingredient by behavioral analysis. Flow cytometry was used to detect the content of reactive oxygen species(ROS) in the hippocampus of mice from each group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the contents of adenosine triphosphate(ATP), superoxide dismutase(SOD), catalase(CAT) and GSH. Transmission electron microscope(TEM) was used to observe the effect of curzerene on the ultrastructure of mitochondria in hippocampal tissue. Western blot was performed to determine the level of Nrf2 protein, and Nrf2 inhibitor(ML385) was used to verify the relationship between the antidepressant effect of curzerene and regulation of Nrf2. Real time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction(Real-time PCR) was employed to detect the effect of curzerene on the mRNA expression level of GPX. ResultsIn vitro antioxidant experiments showed that curzerene and curgerenone exhibited the most significant ability to scavenge free radicals, and comprehensive evaluation results of entropy weight method indicated that curzerene stood out as the most promising active component. Compared with the blank group, the model group exhibited a significant decrease in sucrose preference coefficient and the number of times entering the open field center(P<0.01), as well as a significant increase in immobility time in the forced swimming and tail suspension tests(P<0.01), and the ROS content in hippocampus significantly elevated(P<0.01), while the ATP content significantly reduced(P<0.01). In the hippocampal neurons of the model group, mitochondrial cristae were disordered, with vacuolation of the inner membrane and severe damage. Nrf2 protein expression level in the model group was significantly decreased(P<0.05), and the antioxidant enzymes SOD, CAT and GSH contents were also significantly reduced(P<0.05, P<0.01), and the gene expression levels of GPX1, GPX4 and GPX7 were significantly decreased(P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the high-dose group of curzerene showed a significant increase in the sucrose preference coefficient and the number of times entering the open field center(P<0.05), as well as a significant decrease in immobility time in the forced swimming and tail suspension tests(P<0.05, P<0.01). The ROS content in the hippocampus of the high-dose group of curzerene was significantly reduced(P<0.01), while the ATP content was significantly increased(P<0.05). The neuronal mitochondrial damage in the hippocampus of the high-dose group of curzerene was alleviated, and the expression level of Nrf2 protein was significantly increased(P<0.05). The Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 reversed the improvement of curzerene on depressive behaviors in CUMS mice. The GSH content in the hippocampal neurons of the high-dose group of curzerene was significantly increased(P<0.01), while there were no significant differences in SOD and CAT contents. The expression level of GPX4 gene in the hippocampal neurons of the high-dose group of curzerene was significantly increased(P<0.05), while there were no significant differences in other GPX genes. ConclusionCurzerene is the best component with antidepressant activity in Curcumae Rhizoma. It may improve mitochondrial dysfunction to exert its antidepressant effect by regulating Nrf2 and its downstream GPX4/GSH pathway rather than CAT or SOD pathways.