Lycium barbarum polysaccharide-glycoprotein preventative treatment ameliorates aversive stimuli-induced depression

Previous studies have shown that Lycium barbarum polysaccharide,the main active component of Lycium barbarum,exhibits antiinflammatory and antioxidant effects in treating neurological diseases.However,the therapeutic action of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide on depression has not been studied.In this investigation,we established mouse models of depression using aversive stimuli including exposure to fox urine,air puff and foot shock and physical restraint.Concurrently,we administered 5 mg/kg per day Lycium barbarum polysaccharide-glycoprotein to each mouse intragastrically for the 28 days.Our results showed that long-term exposure to aversive stimuli significantly enhanced depressive-like behavior evaluated by the sucrose preference test and the forced swimming test and increased anxietylike behaviors evaluated using the open field test.In addition,aversive stimuli-induced depressed mice exhibited aberrant neuronal activity in the lateral habenula.Importantly,concurrent Lycium barbarum polysaccharide-glycoprotein treatment significantly reduced these changes.These findings suggest that Lycium barbarum polysaccharide-glycoprotein is a potential preventative intervention for depression and may act by preventing aberrant neuronal activity and microglial activation in the lateral habenula.The study was approved by the Jinan University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee(approval No.20170301003)on March 1,2017.

Alerting effects of light in healthy individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Light plays an essential role in psychobiological and psychophysiological processes,such as alertness.The alerting effect is influenced by light characteristics and the timing of interventions.This meta-analysis is the first to systematically review the effect of light intervention on alertness and to discuss the optimal protocol for light intervention.In this meta-analysis,registered at PROSPERO(Registration ID:CRD42020181485),we conducted a systematic search of the Web of Science,PubMed,and PsycINFO databases for studies published in English prior to August 2021.The outcomes included both subjective and objective alertness.Subgroup analyses considered a variety of factors,such as wavelength,correlated color temperature(CCT),light illuminance,and timing of interventions(daytime,night-time,or all day).Twenty-seven crossover studies and two parallel-group studies were included in this meta-analysis,with a total of 1210 healthy participants(636(52%)male,mean age 25.62 years).The results revealed that light intervention had a positive effect on both subjective alertness(standardized mean difference(SMD)=-0.28,95%confidence interval(CI):-0.49 to-0.06,P=0.01)and objective alertness in healthy subjects(SMD=-0.34,95%CI:-0.68 to-0.01,P=0.04).The subgroup analysis revealed that cold light was better than warm light in improving subjective alertness(SMD=-0.37,95%CI:-0.65 to-0.10,P=0.007,I2=26%)and objective alertness(SMD=-0.36,95%CI:-0.66 to-0.07,P=0.02,I2=0).Both daytime(SMD=-0.22,95%CI:-0.37 to-0.07,P=0.005,I2=74%)and night-time(SMD=-0.32,95%CI:-0.61 to-0.02,P=0.04,I2=0)light exposure improved subjective alertness.The results of this meta-analysis and systematic review indicate that light exposure is associated with significant improvement in subjective and objective alertness.In addition,light exposure with a higher CCT was more effective in improving alertness than light exposure with a lower CCT.Our results also suggest that both daytime and night-time light exposure can improve subjective alertness.