Antidepressant-like effects of psoralidin isolated from the seeds of Psoralea Corylifolia in the forced swimming test in mice

• Published in: Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry 2008-02, Vol.32 (2), p.510-519
• Main Authors: Yi, Li-Tao, Li, Yu-Cheng, Pan, Ying, Li, Jian-Mei, Xu, Qun, Mo, Shi-Fu, Qiao, Chun-Feng, Jiang, Fu-Xin, Xu, Hong-Xi, Lu, Xiao-Bo, Kong, Ling-Dong, Kung, Hsiang-Fu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adrenocorticotropic Hormone - blood; Animals; Antidepressive Agents - pharmacology; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Behavior, Animal - physiology; Benzofurans - isolation & purification; Benzofurans - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; Corticosterone - blood; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone - blood; Coumarins - isolation & purification; Coumarins - pharmacology; Exploratory Behavior - drug effects; Exploratory Behavior - physiology; Forced swimming test; Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid - analysis; Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System - drug effects; Immobility Response, Tonic - drug effects; Immobility Response, Tonic - physiology; Male; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred ICR; Models, Animal; Monoamine neurotransmitter system; Motor Activity - drug effects; Motor Activity - physiology; Neuropharmacology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Pituitary-Adrenal System - drug effects; Prefrontal Cortex - drug effects; Prefrontal Cortex - metabolism; Psoralea; Psoralea - chemistry; Psoralidin; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; Seeds - chemistry; Serotonin - analysis; Swimming - physiology; Synaptic Transmission - drug effects; Synaptic Transmission - physiology; Tissue Distribution - drug effects
• ISSN: 0278-5846; 1878-4216
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2007.10.005

The antidepressant-like effects of psoralidin isolated from the seeds of Psoralea corylifolia were investigated in the forced swimming test (FST) in ICR strain of male mice. Psoralidin significantly decreased immobility time and increased swimming behavior without altering climbing behavior in the mouse FST after oral administration for 1 h or 3 consecutive days. Psoralidin did not affect locomotor activity in the open-field test. After a 3-day treatment, psoralidin significantly increased 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) levels in various brain regions, as well as, changed dopamine (DA) levels in striatum in mice exposed to FST. Psoralidin also ameliorated the elevations in serum corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), adrenal corticotropin-releasing hormone (ACTH) and corticosterone concentrations induced by swimming stress in mice. These results suggested that psoralidin possessed potent antidepressant-like properties that were mediated via the monoamine neurotransmitter and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis systems.