TY - JOUR
T1 - Antidepressant-like effects of curcumin in WKY rat model of depression is associated with an increase in hippocampal BDNF
AU - Hurley, Laura L.
AU - Akinfiresoye, Luli
AU - Nwulia, Evaristus
AU - Kamiya, Atsushi
AU - Kulkarni, Amol A.
AU - Tizabi, Yousef
PY - 2013/2/15
Y1 - 2013/2/15
N2 - Curcumin is the principal active ingredient found in turmeric (Curcuma longa), a plant used in traditional Asian diets and herbal medicines. It is known to have a wide range of biological actions including antidepressant-like effects which have been observed in stress-induced depression models. This study was designed to investigate the antidepressant potential of curcumin in a non-induced model of depression. Moreover, since brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been implicated in antidepressant effects of many drugs, we also evaluated the effects of curcumin on BDNF in the hippocampus. Adult male Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats, a putative model of depression, were injected acutely or chronically (10. d) with 50, 100, and 200. mg/kg curcumin. Open field locomotor activity (OFLA) and forced swim test (FST), a measure of helplessness, were measured 1. h after acute and 18-20. h after last chronic injection. Results showed a dose-dependent reduction of immobility in the FST by curcumin in both acute and chronic studies, without any significant effect on OFLA. The effect of higher chronic curcumin dose in FST was still evident a week later. Chronic curcumin also resulted in a dose-dependent increase in hippocampal BDNF. This data provides evidence for an antidepressant-like effect of curcumin, possibly through increased neurotrophic activity, in the WKY model of depression, and support the notion that curcumin may prove an effective and lasting natural antidepressant.
AB - Curcumin is the principal active ingredient found in turmeric (Curcuma longa), a plant used in traditional Asian diets and herbal medicines. It is known to have a wide range of biological actions including antidepressant-like effects which have been observed in stress-induced depression models. This study was designed to investigate the antidepressant potential of curcumin in a non-induced model of depression. Moreover, since brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been implicated in antidepressant effects of many drugs, we also evaluated the effects of curcumin on BDNF in the hippocampus. Adult male Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats, a putative model of depression, were injected acutely or chronically (10. d) with 50, 100, and 200. mg/kg curcumin. Open field locomotor activity (OFLA) and forced swim test (FST), a measure of helplessness, were measured 1. h after acute and 18-20. h after last chronic injection. Results showed a dose-dependent reduction of immobility in the FST by curcumin in both acute and chronic studies, without any significant effect on OFLA. The effect of higher chronic curcumin dose in FST was still evident a week later. Chronic curcumin also resulted in a dose-dependent increase in hippocampal BDNF. This data provides evidence for an antidepressant-like effect of curcumin, possibly through increased neurotrophic activity, in the WKY model of depression, and support the notion that curcumin may prove an effective and lasting natural antidepressant.
KW - animal Model
KW - BDNF
KW - curcumin
KW - depression
KW - hippocampus
KW - WKY Rats
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84869237281&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.10.049
DO - 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.10.049
M3 - Article
C2 - 23142609
AN - SCOPUS:84869237281
SN - 0166-4328
VL - 239
SP - 27
EP - 30
JO - Behavioural Brain Research
JF - Behavioural Brain Research
ER -