PMID- 25431319 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20151008 LR - 20211203 IS - 2008-2231 (Electronic) IS - 1560-8115 (Print) IS - 1560-8115 (Linking) VI - 22 IP - 1 DP - 2014 Nov 28 TI - Alteration in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) after treatment of mice with herbal mixture containing Euphoria longana, Houttuynia cordata and Dioscorea japonica. PG - 77 LID - 10.1186/s40199-014-0077-2 [doi] LID - 77 AB - BACKGROUND: Literature data indicate that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), cyclic-AMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and phospho-CREB (pCREB) may have a place in depression. BDNF belongs to the neurotrophin family that plays an important role in proliferation, survival and differentiation of different cell populations in the mammalian nervous system. The herbal mixture used in the present study consists of Euphoria longana, Houttuynia cordata and Dioscorea japonica. The purpose of the present study was to determine the neuroprotective effect of herbal mixture. We also tested the hypothesis that administration of herbs reverses memory deficits and promotes the protein expression of BDNF in the mouse brain. METHODS: Mice were randomized into four different treatment groups (n = 10/group). Normal and stress groups received regular lab chow without stress and under stress conditions, respectively, for 3 weeks. The animals in the stress group were immobilized for 4 hours a day for 2 weeks. Different doses of herbal mixture (206 and 618 mg/kg) were administered for 3 weeks to those mice under stress conditions. Mice were analyzed by behavioral tests and immunoblotting examination in the hippocampus and cortex. An additional in vitro investigation was performed to examine whether herbs induce neurotoxicity in a human neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y cells. RESULTS: No significant toxicity of herbs on human neuroblastoma cells was observed. These herbs demonstrated an inductive effect on the expression of BDNF, pCREB and pAkt. For spatial working memory test, herbal mixture fed mice exhibited an increased level of spontaneous alternation (p < 0.01) compared to those in stress conditions. Moreover, herbal mixture produced highly significant (p < 0.01) reduction in the immobility time in the tail suspension test. Mice in the herbal mixture groups demonstrated lower serum corticosterone concentration than mice in the stress group (p < 0.05). Effects of the oral administration of herbal mixture on protein levels of BDNF in the hippocampi and cortices were significant. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that herbal mixture administration has antidepressant effects in mice. It is proposed that adverse events such as stress and depression can modulate the expression of molecular players of cellular plasticity in the brain. FAU - Jeon, Songhee AU - Jeon S AD - Dongguk University Research Institute of Biotechnology, Seoul, 100-715, Republic of Korea. jsong0304@dongguk.edu. FAU - Lee, Chia-Hung AU - Lee CH AD - Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Oriental Medicine, Dongguk University, Gyeongju, Republic of Korea. lch810515@naver.com. FAU - Liu, Quan Feng AU - Liu QF AD - Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Oriental Medicine, Dongguk University, Gyeongju, Republic of Korea. liuquanfeng@naver.com. FAU - Kim, Geun Woo AU - Kim GW AD - Department of Korean Neuropsychiatry, Dongguk University Bundang Oriental Hospital, Sungnam, Republic of Korea. kgwoo86@hanmail.net. FAU - Koo, Byung-Soo AU - Koo BS AD - Department of Korean Neuropsychiatry, Dongguk University Ilsan Oriental Hospital, Goyang, Republic of Korea. koobs@dongguk.ac.kr. FAU - Pak, Sok Cheon AU - Pak SC AD - School of Biomedical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, NSW, 2795, Australia. spak@csu.edu.au. LA - eng PT - Journal Article DEP - 20141128 PL - Switzerland TA - Daru JT - Daru : journal of Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences JID - 101125969 RN - 0 (Antidepressive Agents) RN - 0 (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) RN - 0 (CREB1 protein, human) RN - 0 (Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein) RN - 0 (Drugs, Chinese Herbal) RN - 0 (Houttuynia cordata extract) RN - 0 (Neuroprotective Agents) RN - 7171WSG8A2 (BDNF protein, human) RN - EC 2.7.11.1 (Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt) SB - IM MH - Animals MH - Antidepressive Agents/*pharmacology MH - Behavior, Animal/drug effects MH - Brain/*drug effects/metabolism MH - Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/*metabolism MH - Cell Line, Tumor MH - Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein/metabolism MH - Depression/*drug therapy/etiology/metabolism/psychology MH - *Dioscorea MH - Disease Models, Animal MH - Dose-Response Relationship, Drug MH - Drugs, Chinese Herbal/*pharmacology MH - *Houttuynia MH - Humans MH - Immobilization MH - Male MH - Memory/drug effects MH - Memory Disorders/*drug therapy/etiology/metabolism/psychology MH - Mice, Inbred ICR MH - Motor Activity/drug effects MH - Neurons/drug effects/metabolism MH - Neuroprotective Agents/*pharmacology MH - Phosphorylation MH - Phytotherapy MH - Plants, Medicinal MH - Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism MH - *Sapindaceae MH - Stress, Psychological/etiology PMC - PMC4268823 EDAT- 2014/11/29 06:00 MHDA- 2015/10/09 06:00 PMCR- 2014/11/28 CRDT- 2014/11/29 06:00 PHST- 2014/09/18 00:00 [received] PHST- 2014/11/14 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2014/11/29 06:00 [entrez] PHST- 2014/11/29 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2015/10/09 06:00 [medline] PHST- 2014/11/28 00:00 [pmc-release] AID - s40199-014-0077-2 [pii] AID - 77 [pii] AID - 10.1186/s40199-014-0077-2 [doi] PST - epublish SO - Daru. 2014 Nov 28;22(1):77. doi: 10.1186/s40199-014-0077-2.