Chronic Treatment with Nigella sativa Oil Exerts Antimanic Properties and Reduces Brain Inflammation in Rats

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences 2024-02, Vol.25 (3), p.1823
• Main Authors: Uzzan, Sarit, Rostevanov, Ira-Sivan, Rubin, Elina, Benguigui, Olivia, Marazka, Said, Kaplanski, Jacob, Agbaria, Riad, Azab, Abed N
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amphetamines; Antidepressants; Behavior; Cytokines; Females; Kinases; Males; Psychotropic drugs; Sucrose; Transcription factors; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Velocity
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031823

(NS) is a native herb consumed habitually in several countries worldwide, possessing manifold therapeutic properties. Among them, anti-inflammatory features have been reported, presumably relating to mechanisms involved in the nuclear factor kappa-B pathway, among others. Given the observed association between neuroimmune factors and mental illness, the primary aim of the present study was to examine the effects of chronic NS use on manic-like behavior in rats, as well as analyze levels of brain inflammatory mediators following NS intake. Using male and female rats, baseline tests were performed; thereafter, rats were fed either regular food (control) or NS-containing food (treatment) for four weeks. Following intervention, behavioral tests were induced (an open field test, sucrose consumption test, three-chamber sociality test, and amphetamine-induced hyperactivity test). Subsequently, brain samples were extracted, and inflammatory mediators were evaluated, including interleukin-6, leukotriene B4, prostaglandin E2, tumor necrosis factor-α, and nuclear phosphorylated-p65. Our findings show NS to result in a marked antimanic-like effect, in tandem with a positive modulation of select inflammatory mediators among male and female rats. The findings reinforce the proposed therapeutic advantages relating to NS ingestion.