缬草对慢性应激导致的抑郁大鼠血清皮质酮和海马caspase-3阳性细胞数量的影响

Effects of Valerian on serum cortisol level and caspase-3 positive cells of hippocampus in depressive rats induced by chronic mild stress

目的探讨缬草对慢性应激导致的抑郁大鼠体重、行为、血清皮质醇和海马Caspase-3阳性细胞数量的影响。方法50只大鼠被分为正常对照组、未用药模型组、阴性对照模型组、阳性对照模型组和缬草治疗组,每组各10只。除正常对照组外,给予其余4组大鼠为期4周的慢性应激,以建立抑郁症模型。在整个实验期间,每周检测所有大鼠体重、自来水摄取量、1%糖水摄取量。除未用药模型组正常饲养外,其余4组大鼠在模型建立后分别灌服羧甲基纤维素钠、氟西汀以及缬草,灌药周期均为3周。灌药结束后,每组随机选取5只大鼠,采用放射免疫法检测其血清皮质酮水平;每组另5只大鼠用于caspase-3阳性细胞的计数。结果经过4周慢性应激后,与正常对照组大鼠相比,抑郁模型组大鼠的体重以及1%糖水摄取量明显降低。灌服缬草3周后,能使抑郁模型组大鼠的体重、1%糖水摄取量增加并恢复到正常对照组水平。缬草治疗组血清皮质酮水平明显降低,并恢复至正常对照组大鼠水平,同时使抑郁大鼠海马caspase-3阳性细胞总数减少到正常对照组大鼠水平。结论缬草能使抑郁大鼠恢复体重及正常行为,能降低抑郁大鼠血清皮质酮水平,并具有减少大脑海马caspase-3阳性细胞的作用。

Objective To explore the effects of Valerian on body weight, behavior, serum cortisol level and caspase-3 positive cells of cerebral hippoeampus in depressive rats induced by chronic mild stress. Methods 50 rats were divided into 5 groups： normal control, untreated, negative control, positive control and Valerian-treated groups. There were 10 rats in each group. Except for rats in normal control group, the other forty rats endured chronic stress for 4 weeks to establish the depression model. During the whole experiment, the body weight, tap water intake and 1% sucrose intake of all rats were examined once a week. Except for untreated group, the rats in the other three groups were inlragastrieally administratered with sodium carboxymethycellulose, fluoxetine and Valerian, respectively for 3 weeks. After the treatment, the cortisol level of serum was detected by radio-immunity in 5 rats of each group, and caspase-3 positive cells were counted in other 5 rats of each group. Results After the termination of the stress regime, compared with the normal control group, the body weight and 1% sucrose intake in depressive rats were decreased. After 3 week Valerian treatment, the body weight and 1% sucrose intake increased and recovered to the level of the normal control group. Compared with normal control group, the serum cortisol level in Valerian- treated group was decreased and recovered to normal level. And the number of caspase-3 positive cells in the hippocampus of the depressive rats was decreased to the status the normal control group. Conclusion Valerian may promote the recovery of body weight and the behavior and decrease the serum cortisol level of depressive rats. And it also play a role in inhibiting the number of caspase-3 cells in the hippocampus.