Electro-Acupuncture Alleviates Chronic Unpredictable Stress-Induced Depressive- and Anxiety-Like Behavior and Hippocampal Neuroinflammation in Rat Model of Depression

Prenatal stress induced depressive-like behavior and region dependently high CRP level in offspring rats

INTRODUCTION

To explore the changes in C-reactive protein (CRP) level in different regions of one old offspring rats exposed to prenatal stress (PS).

METHODS

The rat model was constructed with prenatal restraint stress on pregnant dams on days 14-20 of gestation. Offspring rats were randomly divided into PS susceptibility (PS-S) group and control (CON) group. Behavioral experiments including sucrose preference test (SPT), open-field test (OFT), and forced swimming test (FST) were used to measure depressive-like behaviors. Immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR, and Western blotting were applied to detect the changes in CRP level.

RESULTS

The results showed that PS could cause depressive-like behaviors in all SPT, OFT, and FST. Concomitantly, CRP mRNA and protein expression significantly increased in hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and hypothalamus in the PS-S group when compared that in the CON group, while no significantly changes in liver, heart, olfactory bulb, striatum, and cerebellum in the PS-S group when compared that in the CON group.

CONCLUSION

Increasing of CRP expression in hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and hypothalamus may play a critical role in the mechanism under depressive-like behavior in offspring rats exposed to PS.

The mechanism of electroacupuncture for depression on basic research: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Electroacupuncture (EA) is generally accepted as a safe and harmless treatment option for alleviating depression. However, there are several challenges related to the use of EA. Although EA has been shown to be effective in treating depression, the molecular mechanism is unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To reveal the therapeutic effect of EA and its possible mechanism in the treatment of depression.

SEARCH STRATEGY

We performed a systematic search according to PRISMA guidelines. We electronically searched PubMed, Web of Science (WOS), the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data Information Site and the VIP information database for animal studies in English published from the inception of these databases to December 31, 2019.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

Electronic searches of PubMed, WOS, the CNKI, Wanfang and the VIP database were conducted using the following search terms: (depression OR depressive disorder OR antidepressive), (rat OR mouse) AND (acupuncture OR EA).

DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS

The data were extracted primarily by one author, and a follow-up review was conducted by the other authors.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight articles met the inclusion criteria. The most commonly used method for inducing depression in animal models was 21 days of chronic unpredictable mild stress. For the depression model, the most commonly selected EA frequency was 2 Hz. Among the 28 selected studies, 11 studies observed depression-related behaviors and used them as indicators of EA efficacy. The other 17 studies focused on mechanisms and assessed the indexes that exhibited abnormalities that were known to result from depression and then returned to a normal range after EA treatment. Treatment of depression by EA involves multiple therapeutic mechanisms, including inhibition of HPA axis hyperactivity and inflammation, regulation of neuropeptides and neurotransmitters, modulation of the expression of particular genes, restoration of hippocampal synaptic plasticity, increased expression of BDNF, and regulation of several signaling pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

This review reveals that the mechanisms underlying the effect of acupuncture involve multiple pathways and targets, suggesting that acupuncture is a wholistic treatment for people rather than for diseases. Our findings also explain why acupuncture can treat various disorders in addition to depression.

Acupuncture Treatment Reduces Incidence of Parkinson's Disease in Patients With Depression: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study in Taiwan

Depression is a risk factor for subsequent Parkinson's disease (PD). Some patients with depression undergo acupuncture treatment because of other diseases in Taiwan. Therefore, the present study used data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) to investigate the incidence of PD in patients having depression with and without acupuncture treatment. We conducted a retrospective study of a matched cohort of 48,981 patients with newly diagnosed depression between 2000 and 2012 who were selected from the NHIRD. The 1:1 propensity score method was utilized to match an equal number of patients (N = 9,189) in the acupuncture and non-acupuncture cohorts. We employed Cox proportional hazard models to evaluate the risk of PD. The cumulative incidence of PD in both cohorts was estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method, and the difference was examined through a log-rank test. Patients with depression who received acupuncture treatment demonstrated a lower risk of PD [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 0.39, 95% confidence interval = 0.31–0.49] than those who did not undergo acupuncture treatment, after adjusting for age, sex, insurance amount, geographic region, urbanization levels, comorbidities, and drugs. The cumulative incidence of PD was significantly lower in the acupuncture cohort than in the non-acupuncture cohort (log-rank test, p < 0.001). The database did not indicate the severity of depression and acupoints. The results suggest that acupuncture treatment significantly reduced the development of PD in patients with depression; however, a future study should be conducted to provide more objective evidence.

Mechanisms Underlying the Antidepressant Effect of Acupuncture via the CaMK Signaling Pathway

The CaMK pathway has been proven to play an important role in regulating cognitive function and emotional response. Acupuncture through the CaMK pathway improves depression-like behavior and the molecular mechanism related to its antidepressant remains to be explored. In this study, we aimed to determine whether the ability of acupuncture at Baihui (GV20) and Shenting (GV24) points to treat depression is related to the regulation of key proteins in the CaMK pathway. A rat model of depression was induced by chronic unpredicted mild stress (CUMS). Model rats in the electroacupuncture group were subjected to acupuncture at the Baihui (GV20) and Shenting (GV24) acupoints once a day for 20 min. Model rats in the fluoxetine group were gavaged with fluoxetine (1.8 mg/kg). Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting assays were used to evaluate immunoreactivity for and the protein expression levels of CaMKII, CaMKIV, and CaM. The results showed that electroacupuncture had a significant effect in rats with depression. Electroacupuncture and fluoxetine regulated the expression of key proteins in the CaMK signaling pathway, which is related to depression, in the hippocampi of rats. This indicates that acupuncture at Baihui (GV20) and Shenting (GV24) may alleviate depressive symptoms and reduce work- and life-related burdens and stress by regulating the CaMK signaling pathway.

EA Ameliorated Depressive Behaviors in CUMS Rats and Was Related to Its Suppressing Autophagy in the Hippocampus

Autophagy is confirmed to be involved in the onset and development of depression, and some antidepressants took effect by influencing the autophagic process. Electroacupuncture (EA), as a common complementary treatment for depression, may share the mechanism of influencing autophagy in the hippocampus like antidepressants. To investigate that, sixty Sprague-Dawley rats firstly went through chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model establishment, and 15 rats were assigned to a control group. After modeling, 45 successfully CUMS-induced rats were randomly divided to 3 groups: CUMS, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), and EA groups (15 rats per group), to accept different interventions for 2 weeks. A sucrose preference test (SPT), weighing, and open field test (OFT) were measurement for depressive behaviors of rats. Transmission electron microscope (TEM), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and western blot analysis were used to evaluate the autophagic changes. After that, depression-like behaviors were successfully induced in CUMS models and reversed by SSRI and EA treatments (both p < 0.05), but these two therapies had nonsignificant difference between each other (p > 0.05). Autolysosomes observed through TEM in the CUMS group were more than that in the control group. Their number and size in the SSRI and EA groups also decreased significantly. From IHC, the CUMS group showed enhanced positive expression of both Beclin1 and LC3 in CA1 after modeling (p < 0.05), and the LC3 level declined after EA treatments, which was verified by decreased LC3-II/LC3-I in western blot analysis. We speculated that CUMS-induced depression-like behavior was interacted with an autophagy process in the hippocampus, and EA demonstrated antidepressant effects by partly inhibiting autophagy with a decreased number of autolysosomes and level of LC3 along with LC3-II/LC3-I.

Metabolomics analysis of the antidepressant prescription Danzhi Xiaoyao Powder in a rat model of Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress (CUMS)

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Danzhi Xiaoyao Powder (DZXY) is a classical prescription, that has been extensively used in traditional Chinese medicine (TMC) to treat depression for many years. However, the mechanism of DZXY is still unclear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim was to investigate the mechanism of the antidepressant effect of DZXY on a rat model of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty male SD (Sprague-Dawley) rats with similar open field test (OFT) results were randomLy divided into a control group (n = 10) and an experimental group (n = 30). A depression model was established in the experimental group using the CUMS method. After the CUMS model was established successfully, the rats were randomLy divided into a depression model group and a DZXY group. The DZXY group was fed DZXY, while the depression model group and control group were given an equal amount of 0.5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose suspension. Intragastric administration was performed once daily for 14 consecutive days. Animal weight, the sugar preference test, the open field test and the forced swimming test were used to evaluate the modeling effect and the antidepressant effect of DZXY. After the experiment, the plasma of rats was collected and the changes in plasma metabolites were analyzed by UPLC/Q-TOF-MS. The UPLC/Q-TOF-MS spectra data were evaluated by pattern recognition analysis to determine the changes in endogenous metabolites in the rat plasma samples.

RESULTS

The results of the behavioral investigation showed that the rat model of depression was successfully replicated and that DZXY had an antidepressant effect. Using the UPLC-MS/MS metabolomics platform, partial least squares (PLS) and orthogonal partial least squares (OPLS), metabolic profile models (R2 and Q2 ≥ 0.5) of rat plasma were successfully constructed. The model could distinguish among the control group, the depression model group and the DZXY group. Finally, 38 differential metabolites were identified in the plasma. According to KEGG (http://www.kegg.jp) pathway analysis, amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, purine metabolism, the prolactin signaling pathway and bile secretion were enriched and represented the main metabolic pathways influenced in the plasma.

CONCLUSIONS

This study successfully established a CUMS depression model. A total of 38 differential metabolites associated with depression were identified in the plasma of rats, 24 of which were modulated by DZXY. These results suggest that DZXY can improve excitability and play an antidepressant role by regulating phenylalanine metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, porphyrin metabolism, D-arginine and D-ornithine metabolism, steroid hormone biosynthesis, unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis and steroid biosynthesis.

Electro-acupuncture alleviates adolescent cocaine exposure-enhanced anxiety-like behaviors in adult mice by attenuating the activities of PV interneurons in PrL

We recently found that adolescent cocaine exposure (ACE) resulted in an enhancement of the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter system in the prelimbic cortex (PrL) of adult mice. Here, we aim to further investigate the role of GABAergic transmission, especially parvalbumin (PV) interneurons within PrL in the development of ACE-induced anxiety-like behavior, and to assess whether and how electro-acupuncture (EA) therapeutically manage the ACE-induced abnormal behaviors in adulthood. ACE mice exhibited the enhanced anxiety-like behaviors in their adulthood, accompanied by increased GABAergic transmission and PV interneurons in PrL. Chemogenetic blocking PV interneurons in PrL alleviated ACE-enhanced anxiety-like behaviors in mice. Importantly, 37-day EA treatments (mixture of 2 Hz/100 Hz, 1 mA, 30 minutes once a day) at the acupoints of Yintang (GV29) and Baihui (GV20) also alleviated ACE-induced anxiety-like behaviors, and rescued ACE-impaired GABAergic neurotransmitter system and PV interneurons in PrL. In parallel, EA treatments further suppressed the activities of pyramidal neurons in PrL, suggesting that EA treatments seem to perform it beneficial effects on the ACE-induced abnormal emotional behaviors by "calming down" the whole PrL. Collectively, these findings revealed that hyper-function of GABAergic transmission, especially mediating by PV interneurons in PrL may be key etiology underlying ACE-induced anxiety-like behaviors. At least by normalizing the function of GABAergic and PV interneurons, EA may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for managing adolescent substance use-related emotional disorders.

Endocrine and immune effects of non-convulsive neurostimulation in depression: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Non-convulsive neurostimulation is a rapidly-developing alternative to traditional treatment approaches in depression. Modalities such as repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS), transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), Vagal Nerve Stimulation (VNS) and Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) are now recognized as potential treatments. How non-convulsive neurostimulation interventions impact the neurohormonal and neuroimmune changes that accompany depression remains relatively unknown. If this type of intervention can drive endocrine, immune, as well symptom changes in depression, non-convulsive neurostimulation may represent a viable, multi-faceted treatment approach in depression. We were therefore interested to understand the state of the literature in this developing area.

METHODS

A systematic review of all studies that examined the impact of non-convulsive neurostimulation interventions on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and immune function in the form of cytokine production in depression.

RESULTS

We identified 15 human studies, 9 that examined rTMS, 2 that examined tDCS, 2 that examined VNS and 2 that examined electroacupuncture. 11 animal studies were also identified, 3 that examined rTMS, 2 that examined DBS and 6 that examined electroacupuncture. All types of non-convulsive neurostimulation were able to revert the increases in cortisol, ACTH and other components of the HPA axis that are seen in depressed patients, as well as to modulate the levels of key cytokines known to be up-regulated in depression, such as IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α. Changes in the HPA axis and levels of cytokines in response to non-convulsive neurostimulation often did not correlate with change in depressive symptoms. Most studies were not controlled trials and thus, significant methodologic variability existed. Furthermore, many human studies lacked a sham stimulation comparator arm. We were unable to conduct relevant meta-analyses due to the design heterogeneities, heterogeneity in the reported outcome measures and the limited number of studies retrieved. Animal studies generally supported the findings of those in human, but again, significant variability in methodology and study design were evident.

CONCLUSIONS

Non-convulsive neurostimulation interventions show promise in their ability to alter the endocrine and immune disturbances that accompany depression. Further research, which includes blinded, sham-controlled comparator designs is required.

Gut microbiome-derived lactate promotes to anxiety-like behaviors through GPR81 receptor-mediated lipid metabolism pathway

Accumulating evidence suggests that chronic stress could perturb the composition of the gut microbiota and induce host anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. In particular, microorganism-derived products that can directly or indirectly signal to the nervous system. This study sought to investigate whether high levels of Lactobacillus and lactate in the gut of rats under chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) were the factors leading to anxiety behavior. We collected faeces and blood samples in a sterile laboratory bench to study the microbiome and plasma metabolome from adult male rats age and environment matched healthy individuals. We sequenced the V3 and V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene from faeces samples. UPLC-MS metabolomics were used to examine plasma samples. Search for potential biomarkers by combining the different data types. Finally, we found a regulated signaling pathway through the relative expression of protein and mRNA. Both lactate feeding and fecal microbiota transplantation caused behavioral abnormalities such as psychomotor malaise, impaired learning and memory in the recipient animals. These rats also showed inhibition of the adenylate cyclase (AC)-protein kinase A (PKA) pathway of lipolysis after activation of G protein-coupled receptor 81 (GPR81) by lactate in the liver, as well as increased tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, we showed that sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 2 (S1PR2) protein expression in hippocampus was reduced in chronic unpredictable stress compared to control group and its expression negatively correlates with symptom severity. Our study suggest that the gut microbiome-derived lactate promotes to anxiety-like behaviors through GPR81 receptor-mediated lipid metabolism pathway.

Effects and Mechanisms of Electroacupuncture on Chronic Inflammatory Pain and Depression Comorbidity in Mice

Comorbidity of chronic pain and major depression disorder (MDD) are common diseases. However, the mechanisms of electroacupuncture (EA) and the responses of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in the brain remain unclear. Three injections of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) were administered to induce chronic inflammatory pain (CIP). EA was then performed once every other day from days 14 to 28. Behavior tests of chronic pain and depression were evaluated to make sure of the successful induction of comorbidity. We used Western blotting to analyze brain tissue from the prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus, and hypothalamus for levels of phosphorylated N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit 1 (pNR1), NR1, pNR2B, NR2B, and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase type II alpha isoform (pCaMKIIα). The mechanical hyperalgesia, thermal hyperalgesia, and depression were observed in the CIP group. Furthermore, decreased levels of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) were also noted. Not Sham EA but EA reversed chronic pain and depression as well as the decreased levels of NMDA in the signaling pathway. The CFA injections successfully induced a significant comorbidity model. EA treated the comorbidity by upregulating the NMDA signaling pathway in the PFC, hippocampus, and hypothalamus. Our results indicated significant mechanisms of comorbidity of chronic pain and MDD and EA-analgesia that involves the regulation of the NMDAR signaling pathway. These findings may be relevant to the evaluation and treatment of comorbidity of chronic pain and MDD.

Effectiveness and safety of acupuncture in post-stroke depression (PSD): Protocol for a Bayesian analysis

BACKGROUND

Post-stroke depression (PSD) is the most common emotional problem after stroke. It can lower the quality of life and increase the recurrence and mortality. Pharmacological agents have been shown to treat PSD. However, the benefits of pharmacotherapy are debatable and the side-effects are significant. More and more clinical trials suggest that acupuncture plays an important role in patients with PSD. The primary purposes of the study are to conduct a Bayesian analysis of randomized trials to determine the effect of acupuncture and investigate the effect of several acupuncture therapies on PSD.

METHODS

We will retrieve articles from 5 English databases [PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and WHO International Clinical Trials Registry (TCTRP)] and 4 Chinese databases [Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese VIP Information, Wanfang Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM)]. The publication period will be from inception to January 2019. All randomized controlled trials that evaluate the safety and efficacy of acupuncture on PSD will be included. The primary outcomes will be the change in the degree of depression as measured by the Hamilton Depression Scale and Beck Depression Inventory. Two reviewers will separately extract the data and assess the risk of bias by using the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool. Bayesian analysis will be conducted to pool the effects of several acupunctures. The ranking probabilities for several acupunctures (simple acupuncture, fire needle, warm acupuncture, auriculo-acupuncture, or electroacupuncture) will be estimated by the surface under the cumulative ranking curve.

RESULT

This study will provide reliable evidence for acupuncture on PSD.

CONCLUSION

The results of this review will introduce a safe and effective treatment and provide reliable evidence to evaluate the effectiveness of several acupuncture therapies on PSD.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42019132725.

Acupuncture for emotional disorders in patients with migraine: a systematic review protocol

INTRODUCTION

Migraine is the second-leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide. The high prevalence of migraine-related emotional disorders is often overlooked. Acupuncture is often used to treat both migraine and emotional disorders. This systematic review protocol aims to analyse whether acupuncture is effective for treating emotional disorders in patients with migraine.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Nine databases will be searched from inception to may 2019: cochrane central register of controlled trials, medline, embase, allied and complementary medicine database, cinahl, china national knowledge infrastructure, chinese biomedical literature database, vip database and wanfang database. Randomised controlled trials (rcts) of acupuncture therapy for migraine with emotional functioning outcomes, which were reported in chinese or english, will be included. The primary outcome is the change in emotional functioning. Study selection, data extraction and assessment of the risk of bias will be performed independently by two or more reviewers. Revman software (v.5.3) will be used to perform the assessment of the risk of bias and data synthesis.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethics approval is not be needed because the data will not contain individual patient data, and there are no concerns about privacy. The results of this meta-analysis will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal or relevant conference.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42019139433.

Electroacupuncture Relieves LPS-Induced Depression-Like Behaviour in Rats Through IDO-Mediated Tryptophan-Degrading Pathway

BACKGROUND

Neuroinflammation is an important pathological mechanism of depression that leads to an increase in indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) activity and NMDAR activation. This study aimed to observe the effects of electroacupuncture on depression-like behaviour in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated rats and the underlying mechanism.

METHODS

Wistar rats were intraperitoneally administered LPS (0.5 mg/kg) for 7 consecutive days to establish a depression model. Electroacupuncture treatment was administered 1 hour after daily LPS injection. The open field test (OFT), forced swimming test (FST), and sucrose preference test (SPT) were used to evaluate the depressive-like behaviours. IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); Trp, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), kynurenine (Kyn) and quinolinic acid (Quin) were detected by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry; and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) protein and mRNA were assessed by Western blot and real-time qPCR.

RESULTS

The results showed that electroacupuncture treatment successfully corrected LPS-induced depressive-like behaviour, reduced the inflammatory factor (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) levels in the blood and hippocampus, prevented IDO over-activation and recovered NR2B expression after challenge by LPS.

CONCLUSION

Electroacupuncture treatment provided protection against LPS-induced depressive-like behaviour, and the associated mechanisms may be related to inhibiting the inflammatory response, regulating the IDO-mediated tryptophan-degrading pathway, and inhibiting NR2B activation.

Role of AMPK/SIRT1-SIRT3 signaling pathway in affective disorders in unpredictable chronic mild stress mice

OBJECTIVES

To explore the role of 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase/sirtuin1-sirtuin3 (AMPK/SIRT1-SIRT3) signaling pathway in behavioral and neuroinflammation/oxidative stress alterations in unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) model mice.

METHODS

Male ICR mice weighing 20-22 g were used in this study. Behavior performance was evaluated from the 14th day of drug treatment. Expression levels of AMPK, SIRT1, SIRT3, and NF-κBp65 were tested by immuno-blot analysis. Contents of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) expressions were tested by neurochemical and biochemical assays.

RESULTS

Behavioral disorders and decreases of AMPK, SIRT1 and SIRT3 induced by UCMS were all reversed by AICA Riboside (AICAR) treatment. These effects were correlated with alterations of oxidative stress (ROS, GSH, SOD) and inflammation (pNF-κBp65, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6) status. Co-treatment with SIRT3 inhibitor (3-TYP) in addition to AICAR abolished AICAR's effects on behavior and expression level of inflammation/oxidative stress-related factors of mice, without affecting the content of SIRT1. Contrarily, combining use of AICAR and SIRT1 inhibitor (Sirtinol or EX-527) increased SIRT3 level, which led to better alleviation of behavioral disorders, compared with single AICAR treatment. Interestingly, in normal or UCMS mice, up or down regulation of SIRT1 did not affect SIRT3 level.

CONCLUSION

Provided that AMPK is activated, SIRT1 inhibition could induce the increase of SIRT3, and SIRT3 exerts more beneficial function in alleviation of consequences of chronic stress than SIRT1.

Hippocampal proteomic changes of susceptibility and resilience to depression or anxiety in a rat model of chronic mild stress

Chronic stressful occurrences are documented as a vital cause of both depression and anxiety disorders. However, the stress-induced molecular mechanisms underlying the common and distinct pathophysiology of these disorders remains largely unclear. We utilized a chronic mild stress (CMS) rat model to differentiate and subgroup depression-susceptible, anxiety-susceptible, and insusceptible rats. The hippocampus was analyzed for differential proteomes by combining mass spectrometry and the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) labeling technique. Out of 2593 quantified proteins, 367 were aberrantly expressed. These hippocampal protein candidates might be associated with susceptibility to stress-induced depression or anxiety and stress resilience. They provide the potential protein systems involved in various metabolic pathways as novel investigative protein targets. Further, independent immunoblot analysis identified changes in Por, Idh2 and Esd; Glo1, G6pdx, Aldh2, and Dld; Dlat, Ogdhl, Anxal, Tpp2, and Sdha that were specifically associated to depression-susceptible, anxiety-susceptible, or insusceptible groups respectively, suggesting that identical CMS differently impacted the mitochondrial and metabolic processes in the hippocampus. Collectively, the observed alterations to protein abundance profiles of the hippocampus provided significant and novel insights into the stress regulation mechanism in a CMS rat model. This might serve as the molecular basis for further studies that would contributed to a better understanding of the similarities and differences in pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying stress-induced depression or anxiety, and stress resiliency.

Synthesis of Novel Benzazole Derivatives and Evaluation of Their Antidepressant-Like Activities with Possible Underlying Mechanisms

Novel benzazole derivative compounds 4a–4h were obtained by the reaction of corresponding 2-(benzazol-2-ylthio)acetohydrazide and appropriate 4-substituted benzaldehydes. The chemical structures of the synthesized compounds were elucidated by FT-IR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR and LCMS spectroscopic methods. Antidepressant-like effects of the compounds were evaluated by tail suspension test (TST) and modified forced swimming tests (MFST). Moreover, locomotor activities of the animals were assessed by an activity cage apparatus. In the series, compounds 4a, 4b, 4e and 4f (at 50 mg/kg) significantly decreased the immobility time of mice in both of the TST and MFST. The same compounds prolonged the swimming time of animals in MFST without any change in the climbing duration. These data indicated that compounds 4a, 4b, 4e and 4f possess significant antidepressant-like activities. Moreover, pre-treatments with p-chloro-phenylalanine methyl ester (an inhibitor of serotonin synthesis), NAN-190 (a 5-HT_1A antagonist), ketanserin (a 5-HT_2A/2C antagonist), and ondansetron (a 5-HT₃ antagonist) reversed the exhibited pharmacological effects. Results of the mechanistic studies suggested the involvement of serotonergic system and contributions of 5-HT_1A, 5-HT_2A/2C and 5-HT₃ receptors to the antidepressant-like effects of compounds 4a, 4b, 4e and 4f. Furthermore, unchanged locomotor activity of mice following the administrations of these four derivatives confirmed that the presented antidepressant-like effects are specific.

Targeting NLRP3 Inflammasome in the Treatment of CNS Diseases

Central nervous system (CNS) is one of the largest killers of people’s health all over the world. The overactivation of the immune and inflammatory responses is considered as an important factor, contributing to the pathogenesis and progression of CNS disorders. Among all kinds of immune and inflammatory reaction, the inflammasome, a complex of proteins, has been drawn increasingly attention to by researchers. The initiation and activation of the inflammasome is involved in the onset of various kinds of diseases. The NLRP3 inflammasome, the most studied member of the inflammasome, is closely associated with many kinds of CNS disorders. Here in this review, the roles of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the pathogenesis and progression of several well-known CNS diseases would be discussed, including cerebrovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, multiple sclerosis, depression as well as other CNS disorders. In addition, several therapeutic strategies targeting on the NLRP3 inflammasome for the treatment of CNS disorders would be described in this review.