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

doi:10.5246/jcps.2021.01.003

Abstract

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:

Xuan Yu, Xinpei Wang, Fan Lei, Yugang Wang, Wei Wang, Yi Ding, Dongming Xing, Zhiyi Yuan, Hong Sun, Lijun Du. The antidepressive effect of the complex consisting of Radix Pseudostellariae, Radix Pueraria and Herba Epimedii: the involvement of NRSF/NRSE-TPH2 signaling[J]. Journal of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2021, 30(1): 27-41.

Figures/Tables 6

References 58

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