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中国药学(英文版) ›› 2021, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (1): 27-41.DOI: 10.5246/jcps.2021.01.003

• 【研究论文】 • 上一篇    下一篇

太子参葛根淫羊藿复合物抗抑郁作用: 与NRSF/NRSE-TPH2 信号相关

余煊1, 王欣佩1, 雷帆1, 王玉刚1, 王伟1, 丁怡1, 邢东明1, 袁梽漪1, 孙虹2, 杜力军1,*()   

  1. 1. 清华大学 生命科学学院 药物药理实验室, 北京100084
    2. 中国医学科学院 北京协和医学院 药用植物研究所, 北京 100094
  • 收稿日期:2020-07-20 修回日期:2020-08-17 接受日期:2020-09-12 出版日期:2021-01-29 发布日期:2021-01-29
  • 通讯作者: 杜力军
  • 作者简介:
    + Tel.: +86-10-62796270, E-mail:
  • 基金资助:
    The Student Research Training (SRT) Program of Tsinghua University (Grant No. 1522T0221) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 81374006 and 81073092).

The antidepressive effect of the complex consisting of Radix Pseudostellariae, Radix Pueraria and Herba Epimedii: the involvement of NRSF/NRSE-TPH2 signaling

Xuan Yu1, Xinpei Wang1, Fan Lei1, Yugang Wang1, Wei Wang1, Yi Ding1, Dongming Xing1, Zhiyi Yuan1, Hong Sun2, Lijun Du1,*()   

  1. 1 Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
    2 Institute of Medicinal Plant and Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100094, China
  • Received:2020-07-20 Revised:2020-08-17 Accepted:2020-09-12 Online:2021-01-29 Published:2021-01-29
  • Contact: Lijun Du

摘要:

抑郁症属于心理性疾病且无特效疗法。本文对由太子参多糖、葛根淫羊藿总黄酮组成的太子(TZ)胶囊的抗抑郁作用进行了实验研究。利用整体动物悬尾和强迫游泳方法观察TZ的抗抑郁药效, 构建了五羟色胺羟化酶2(TPH2, tryptophan hydroxylase-2)质粒对TZ进行体外实验研究, 利用qPCR和Western blot方法检测mRNA和蛋白的表达。结果显示TZ对小鼠和大鼠模型均具有抗抑郁作用, 能够升高脑内5-HT含量, 并通过抑制NRSF (neuron restrictive silencer factor)表达, 升高TPH2的mRNA和蛋白表达。而NRSF可以结合于TPH2基因转录启动区的NRS响应元件(NRSE, neuron restrictive silencer element)进而抑制抑郁症时TPH2基因转录。淫羊藿苷可以直接作用于NRSE阻断NRSF的结合, 从而解除NRSF对TPH2基因转录的抑制。因此, TZ具有潜在的抗抑郁作用, 能够改善实验动物的抑郁行为, 其相关机制与NRSF/NRSE-TPH2信号通路相关。淫羊藿苷是TZ抗抑郁作用的主要活性成分。本研究为中药抗抑郁作用提供了基于NRSF/NRSE-TPH2信号的新的机制。

关键词: 抑郁症, TPH2, NRSF, 淫羊藿苷, 太子参, 葛根, 淫羊藿

Abstract:

Depression is a psychological disease with no particularly effective therapy currently available. In the present study, we aimed to examine the antidepressive activity of a pharmaceutical Chinese medicine called TaiZi (TZ) capsule, consisting of total polysaccharides of Radix Pseudostellariae and total flavonoids of both Radix Pueraria and Herba Epimedii. A tail suspension test and forced swimming test were performed to assess the effect of TZ in vivo. A plasmid of TPH2 (tryptophan hydroxylase-2) was constructed to determine the exact target of TZ in vitro. In addition, mRNA expression was detected using a real-time PCR assay, and the protein expression was investigated using a Western blotting analysis. The results showed that TZ had an anti-depression effect in mouse and rat models with increased serotonin in the brain, and in the upregulation of mRNA and protein expression of TPH2 in the brain simultaneously by inhibition of NRSF (neuron restrictive silencer factor) expression because NRSF could bind to NRSE (neuron restrictive silencer element) to repress TPH2 transcription during the depression conditions. Icariin could bind to NRSE directly and block NRSF protein toward to NRSE for TPH2 inhibition. Therefore, we concluded that TZ had potential antidepressive effects because it could ameliorat the depression-like behavior in the animals, and the underlying mechanism of the effect was involved in NRSF/NRSE-TPH2 signaling. Icariin was identified as the active component of TZ. This study provided a new perspective for the development of antidepression drugs (Chinese medicines) based on NRSF/NRSE -TPH2 signaling.

Key words: Depression, TPH2, NRSF, Icariin, Pseudostellariae, Pueraria, Epimedii

Supporting: