Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Sanggenon C ameliorates chronic stress-induced depressive behaviors

Yuxi Qin^1-3 , Jing Zheng⁴, Leiming Jiang⁵

¹Department of Spinal Cord Injury, Sichuan Provincial Bayi Rehabilitation Center, Sichuan Provincial Rehabilitation Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 611130, China; ²Department of Spinal Cord Injury, Affiliated Rehabilitation Hospital of Chengdu University of TCM, Chengdu, Sichuan Province 611130, China; ³Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan 610075, China; ⁴Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sichuan Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sichuan Second Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu Sichuan 610000, China; ⁵Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu Sichuan 610075, China.

For correspondence:- Yuxi Qin Email: Qinyuxi_666@163.com Tel:+8613880908749

Accepted: 2 November 2023 Published: 30 November 2023

Citation: Qin Y, Zheng J, Jiang L. Sanggenon C ameliorates chronic stress-induced depressive behaviors. Trop J Pharm Res 2023; 22(11):2311-2317 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v22i11.10

© 2023 The authors.
This is an Open Access article that uses a funding model which does not charge readers or their institutions for access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) and the Budapest Open Access Initiative (http://www.budapestopenaccessinitiative.org/read), which permit unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited..

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the effect of Sanggenon C on depression caused by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) in Wistar rats.

Methods: The anti-depression effect of Sanggenon C was assessed using a forced swimming test and sucrose preference assay. Open-field test was performed to measure CUMS-induced locomotor alteration while histological analyses of the hippocampus and cortex were performed using hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) stains. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining was employed to evaluate apoptosis. In addition, expressions of Bax, Bcl-2, cleaved caspase-3, LC3, Beclin, P62 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), as well as phosphorylation level of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) were evaluated by Western blot.

Results: Sanggenon C significantly elevated sucrose preference, reduced immobility time in the forced swimming test, and enlarged squares crossed and rearing times in open-field CUMS rats (p < 0.05). Sanggenon C ameliorated nuclear shrinkage and damage in the hippocampus or cortex. Sanggenon C also regulated the expression of apoptosis-related proteins (Bax, Bcl-2 and cleaved caspase-3), as well as autophagy-associated molecules (LC3, Beclin and p62). Furthermore, Sanggenon C enhanced the expression of BDNF and phosphorylation of AMPK.

Conclusion: Sanggenon C inhibits apoptosis, induces neuronal autophagy, and improves depressive behavior and neuroprotection via activation of AMPK pathway in CUMS rats. However, further research is needed to fully understand the clinical significance of Sanggenon C-mediated AMPK activation in different cellular contexts as potential drug targets.

Keywords: AMPK pathway, Apoptosis, Autophagy, Depression, Sanggenon C