Purpose: In our present study, a rat depression model induced by 6 weeks of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) was established, and we investigated how Xiaoyaosan affects the intestinal permeability of depressed rats and alterations in tight-junction proteins (TJs) involved in this process.
Methods: The rat depression model was established using CUMS for 6 consecutive weeks. A total of 40 healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly sorted into four groups: the control group, CUMS group, Xiaoyaosan group, and fluoxetine group. All groups, excluding the control group, were subjected to the 6-week CUMS program to generate the depression model. Body weight, food intake, and behaviors were observed during the modeling period. Histopathological alterations of colon tissue were evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin staining (H&E), and mucus-containing goblet cells were detected by periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining. The ultrastructural morphology of colonic mucosa was observed by transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were used to determine the expression of TJs. The concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in the hypothalamus and colon were also assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Results: Treatment of depressed rats with Xiaoyaosan alleviated depression-like behaviors as demonstrated by increases in the total distance traveled, the number of entries into the central area in the open field test, the duration spent in the central area, and sucrose preference. Xiaoyaosan treatment also increased body weight gain and food intake in depressed rats. Moreover, Xiaoyaosan treatment effectively improved the colonic pathological and ultrastructural changes, upregulated the expression of ZO-1, occludin, and claudin-1 in the colon, and increased 5-HT levels in the hypothalamus and colonic mucosa.
Conclusions: Xiaoyaosan treatment attenuates depression-like behaviors caused by CUMS and ameliorates CUMS-induced abnormal intestinal permeability, which may be associated with the expression of TJs. These results suggest that Xiaoyaosan exerts an antidepressant effect that may be related to an improvement of intestinal barrier function via the brain-gut axis.
Author(s) Details:
Fengmin Ding,
Formula-pattern Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese
Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou-510632, Guangdong, China.
Jiajia Wu,
School of
Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11
North Third Ring Road Chaoyang District, Beijing-100029, China.
Chenyue Liu,
School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of
Chinese Medicine, No. 11 North Third Ring Road Chaoyang District,
Beijing-100029, China.
Qinglai Bian,
School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of
Chinese Medicine, No. 11 North Third Ring Road Chaoyang District,
Beijing-100029, China.
Wenqi Qiu,
School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of
Chinese Medicine, No. 11 North Third Ring Road Chaoyang District,
Beijing-100029, China.
Qingyu Ma,
Formula-pattern
Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou-510632,
Guangdong, China.
Xiaojuan Li,
Formula-pattern Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese
Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou-510632, Guangdong, China.
Man Long,
Formula-pattern Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese
Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou-510632, Guangdong, China.
Xiaojuan Zou,
Formula-pattern
Research Center, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan University,
Guangzhou-510632, Guangdong, China.
Jiaxu Chen,
Formula-pattern Research Center, School of Traditional
Chinese Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou-510632, Guangdong, China and
School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine,
No. 11 North Third Ring Road Chaoyang District, Beijing-100029, China.
Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/IPTDFTPX/article/view/11263
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