PMID- 24184295 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20140310 LR - 20221207 IS - 1879-0631 (Electronic) IS - 0024-3205 (Linking) VI - 94 IP - 2 DP - 2014 Jan 17 TI - A novel herbal treatment reduces depressive-like behaviors and increases BDNF levels in the brain of stressed mice. PG - 151-7 LID - S0024-3205(13)00641-3 [pii] LID - 10.1016/j.lfs.2013.10.025 [doi] AB - AIMS: Depression is a chronic, recurring and potentially life-threatening illness. Current treatments for depression are characterized by a low success rate and associated with a wide variety of side effects. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the behavioral and biological anti-depressant effects of a novel herbal treatment (NHT), as well as to assess its potential side effects, in comparison to treatment with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor escitalopram. MAIN METHODS: Depressive-like behavior was evaluated using the forced swim test (FST) and the tail suspension test (TST). Sexual behavior was evaluated following treatment by measuring latency before first mount and number of total mounts. Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serotonin transporter (SERT) levels in the pre-frontal cortex (PFC) and hypothalamus were evaluated using high affinity binding assay. KEY FINDINGS: (1) The NHT reduced depressive-like behavior in the FST and TST; (2) BDNF levels in the PFC of mice treated both with the NHT and escitalopram were increased; (3) SERT levels in the hypothalamus were significantly higher in the NHT group, in comparison to escitalopram and the control groups, and significantly lower in the PFC of the NHT group in comparison to the escitalopram group; and (4) the NHT led to less sexual dysfunction, compared to treatment with escitalopram. SIGNIFICANCE: Our NHT has the potential of being highly efficacious in treating depression in humans, while causing minimal to no influence on sexual function. CI - (c) 2013. FAU - Doron, Ravid AU - Doron R AD - School of Behavioral Sciences, Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Tel-Aviv 61083, Israel; Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University of Israel, 108 Ravutski St., P.O. Box 808, Raanana 43107, Israel; School of Health and Life Sciences, Hadassah Academic College, Jerusalem 94702, Israel. Electronic address: raviddor@mta.ac.il. FAU - Lotan, Dafna AU - Lotan D AD - School of Behavioral Sciences, Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Tel-Aviv 61083, Israel; School of Psychological Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel. FAU - Einat, Nili AU - Einat N AD - Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University of Israel, 108 Ravutski St., P.O. Box 808, Raanana 43107, Israel. FAU - Yaffe, Roni AU - Yaffe R AD - School of Behavioral Sciences, Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Tel-Aviv 61083, Israel. FAU - Winer, Avigail AU - Winer A AD - School of Behavioral Sciences, Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Tel-Aviv 61083, Israel. FAU - Marom, Inbal AU - Marom I AD - School of Behavioral Sciences, Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, Tel-Aviv 61083, Israel. FAU - Meron, Gili AU - Meron G AD - Department of Education and Psychology, The Open University of Israel, 108 Ravutski St., P.O. Box 808, Raanana 43107, Israel. FAU - Kately, Nadav AU - Kately N AD - Broshim Campus, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel. FAU - Rehavi, Moshe AU - Rehavi M AD - Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel; The Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Chair in the Biology of Addictive Diseases, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel. LA - eng PT - Journal Article PT - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't DEP - 20131101 PL - Netherlands TA - Life Sci JT - Life sciences JID - 0375521 RN - 0 (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) RN - 0 (Plant Preparations) RN - 0 (Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins) RN - 0 (Serotonin Uptake Inhibitors) RN - 0DHU5B8D6V (Citalopram) SB - IM MH - Animals MH - Brain Chemistry/*drug effects MH - Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/*analysis MH - Citalopram/therapeutic use MH - Crataegus MH - Depression/*drug therapy/metabolism MH - Disease Models, Animal MH - Female MH - Hypothalamus/chemistry MH - Lilium MH - Male MH - Mice MH - Mice, Inbred ICR MH - Phytotherapy/*methods MH - Plant Preparations/therapeutic use MH - Prefrontal Cortex/chemistry MH - Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins/analysis MH - Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors/therapeutic use MH - Sexual Behavior, Animal/drug effects/physiology MH - Stress, Psychological/*drug therapy/psychology MH - Triticum OTO - NOTNLM OT - BDNF OT - Depression OT - Herbal treatment OT - Mice OT - SSRI OT - Serotonin transporter OT - Sexual dysfunction EDAT- 2013/11/05 06:00 MHDA- 2014/03/13 06:00 CRDT- 2013/11/05 06:00 PHST- 2013/08/29 00:00 [received] PHST- 2013/10/06 00:00 [revised] PHST- 2013/10/18 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2013/11/05 06:00 [entrez] PHST- 2013/11/05 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2014/03/13 06:00 [medline] AID - S0024-3205(13)00641-3 [pii] AID - 10.1016/j.lfs.2013.10.025 [doi] PST - ppublish SO - Life Sci. 2014 Jan 17;94(2):151-7. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2013.10.025. Epub 2013 Nov 1.