• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.393-403
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• 2013

Baicalein (BA), a plant-derived active flavonoid present in the root of Scutellaria baicalensis, has been widely used for the treatment of stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders including depression. Previous studies have demonstrated that repeated restraint stress disrupts the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, resulting in depression. The behavioral and neurochemical basis of the BA effect on depression remain unclear. The present study used the forced swimming test (FST) and changes in brain neurotransmitter levels to confirm the impact of BA on repeated restraint stress-induced behavioral and neurochemical changes in rats. Male rats received 10, 20, or 40 mg/kg BA (i.p.) 30 min prior to daily exposure to repeated restraint stress (2 h/day) for 14 days. Activation of the HPA axis in response to repeated restraint stress was confirmed by measuring serum corticosterone levels and the expression of corticotrophin-releasing factor in the hypothalamus. Daily BA administration significantly decreased the duration of immobility in the FST, increased sucrose consumption, and restored the stress-related decreases in dopamine concentrations in the hippocampus to near normal levels. BA significantly inhibited the stress-induced decrease in neuronal tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity in the ventral tegmental area and the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA in the hippocampus. Taken together, these findings indicate that administration of BA prior to the repeated restraint stress significantly improves helpless behaviors and depressive symptoms, possibly by preventing the decrease in dopamine and BDNF expression. Thus, BA may be a useful agent for the treatment or alleviation of the complex symptoms associated with depression.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.107-115
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• 2018

Background: Depression is one of the most commonly diagnosed neuropsychiatric diseases, but the underlying mechanism and medicine are not well-known. Although Panax ginseng has been reported to exert protective effects in various neurological studies, little information is available regarding its antidepressant effects. Methods: Here, we examined the antidepressant effect and underlying mechanism of P. ginseng extract (PGE) in a chronic restraint stress (CRS)-induced depression model in mice. Results: Oral administration of PGE for 14 d decreased immobility (depression-like behaviors) time in forced swim and tail suspended tests after CRS induction, which corresponded with attenuation of the levels of serum adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone, as well as attenuated c-Fos expression in the amygdala. PGE enhanced messenger RNA expression level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor but ameliorated microglial activation and neuroinflammation (the level of messenger RNA and protein expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase) in the amygdala of mice after CRS induction. Interestingly, 14-d treatment with celecoxib, a selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, and $N_{\omega}$-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride, a selective inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, attenuated depression-like behaviors after CRS induction. Additionally, PGE inhibited the upregulation of the nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2 and heme oxygenase-1 pathways. Conclusion: Taken together, our findings suggest that PGE exerts antidepressant-like effect of CRS-induced depression by antineuroinflammatory and antioxidant (nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1 activation) activities by inhibiting the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis mechanism. Further studies are needed to evaluate the potential of components of P. ginseng as an alternative treatment of depression, including clinical trial evaluation.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.117-130
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• 2015

Objectives: Banhahoobak-tang has been used to treat plum-pit qi, chest and hypochondriac distension, moist or greasy tongue coat, and wiry slow or wiry slippery pulse. It might be used to control coughing and vomiting. We observed that Banhahoobak-tang extract (BHTe) had anti-psychological stress effect. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of BHTe on restoring the transcriptional regulation of genes related to psychological stress. Methods: After giving psychological stress to mice, BHTe was orally administered at 100 mg/kg/day for five days. After extracting whole brain tissue from the mice, the gene expression changes were determined by microarray. Transcription factor binding site (TFBS) analysis showed up- and down-regulated genes related to psychological stress were protected by BHTe and segregated according to the structure of TFBS. We performed text based Pubmed search to select significant target genes involved in psychological stress affected by BHTe. Results: 1. Serum corticosterone level was decreased in the BHTe administered group, although the psychological stress was increased. 2. The BHTe administered group had no significant change in noradrenaline content in brain tissue, but the psychological stress group had decreased level. 3. The BHTe administered group had increased time of staying at open-arm than the psychological stress group. 4. Microarray revealed that TANK and RARA genes were up-regulated genes while AES, CDC42, FOS, NCL, and PVR were down-regulated genes by psychological stress but restored by BHTe.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.127-138
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• 2013

This study investigated the effects of feeding the broilers that are exposed to extreme heat stress (EHS, $33{\pm}2^{\circ}C$) with extreme heat stress diet (EHSD) containing adequate amount of soy oil and other nutrients on their growth performance. 500 broiler chickens (Ross 308) were randomized into five dietary treatment groups according to a randomized block design on the day they were hatched. Each group was further divided into four repeat pens with each repeat pen comprising 25 chickens. The five dietary treatment groups were: T1 (Normal ambient condition + basal diet (BD), T2 (EHS +BCD), T3 (EHS + extreme heat stress diet (EHSD) prepared from BD with tallow replaced with soy oil and containing molasses 2%), T4 (EHS + EHSD prepared from BD with tallow replaced with soy oil and containing molasses 2% and methionine and lysine of 1.5 times greater quantities than in BD), and T5 (EHS + EHSD prepared from BD with tallow replaced with soy oil and containing molasses 2%, methionine and lysine of 1.5 times greater quantities than in BD, and vitamin C 200 ppm) with inverse lighting. The body weight gain of the broilers increased significantly in T4 and T5 as compared with that in T1 and T2. Weights of the lymphoid organ, bursa of Fabricius, thymus, and spleen were similar between all groups. Serum concentrations of IgG, IgG and IgM were higher in T4 and T5 than inT1 and T2, but the corticosterone concentration decreased significantly in them. In T4 and T5, Lactobacillus in the cecum increased, but Escherichia, coliform, and total aerobic bacteria decreased rather significantly, compared with those in T1 and T2. Contents of acetic acid, propionic acid and total SCFA were significantly higher in T4 and T5 than in T1 and T2.