Apocynin as an antidepressant agent: in vivo behavior and oxidative parameters modulation

• Published in: Behavioural brain research 2020-06, Vol.388, p.112643-112643, Article 112643
• Main Authors: Pereira, Gabriele Cheiran, Piton, Elisa, dos Santos, Brenda Moreira, da Silva, Rossano Menezes, de Almeida, Amanda Spring, Dalenogare, Diéssica Padilha, Schiefelbein, Naieli Souto, Fialho, Maria Fernanda Pessano, Moresco, Rafael Noal, dos Santos, Gabriela Trevisan, Marchesan, Sara, Bochi, Guilherme Vargas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetophenones - administration & dosage; Animals; Antidepressive Agents - administration & dosage; Antioxidant; Antioxidants - administration & dosage; Brain - drug effects; Brain - metabolism; Corticosterone; Corticosterone - administration & dosage; Depression; Depression - chemically induced; Depression - metabolism; Depression - prevention & control; Male; Mice; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; ROS; Stress
• ISSN: 0166-4328; 1872-7549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112643

•Chronic corticosterone administration (CCA) induces depressive-like behavior.•CCA protocol increases oxidative markers in mice brain.•Apocynin exerts an antidepressant-like effect in mice exposed to CCA.•Apocynin reverses the CCA-induced oxidative changes. Depression is one of the most common mood disorders, which affects one in six people at some point in life. However, the treatment of this disease is still a challenge. Chronic corticosterone administration (CCA) is a widely used animal model to study the mechanisms involved, as well as possible therapeutic strategies for the treatment of depression. Moreover, elevated oxidative stress has been observed in psychiatric disorders, including major depression and, in this context, antioxidant therapy may be a potential therapeutic alternative. In this study, we investigated the effect of seven days of treatment with apocynin, an antioxidant of natural origin, on depressive-like behavior and oxidative parameters in mice submitted to CCA. After 21 days of corticosterone administration (20 mg/Kg/day, subcutaneously, s.c.), we observed the development of depressive-like behavior with an increase in immobility time on tail suspension test and forced swimming test and reduction in total grooming time on splash test. Also, we found high superoxide dismutase activity and hydrogen peroxide levels whereas catalase activity was reduced in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and striatum. Seven days of treatment with apocynin (100 mg/Kg/day orally, p.o), performed immediately after corticosterone administration in the last week of protocol, was able to reverse the most of these changes, revealing its antidepressant-like effect. In conclusion, our results suggest apocynin as an antidepressant-like agent with a mechanism of action based on the attenuation of oxidative changes induced by CCA.