Antidepressant Effects of Vaccinium bracteatum via Protection Against Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis
Abstract
The present study evaluates the anti-oxidative stress activity of Vaccinium bracteatum Thunb. fruit extract (VBFW) to identify the mechanisms responsible for its antidepressant-like effects. To evaluate the antidepressant and anti-oxidant effects of VBFW, malondialdehyde (MDA), serotonin transporter (SERT), and monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) levels were measured in a mouse model of chronic restraint stress (CRS). The underlying mechanisms preventing oxidative stress and neuronal apoptosis were investigated using in vitro models of hydrogen peroxide (H2O-induced neuronal damage. The results showed that VBFW treatment (200mg/kg) significantly reduced MDA, SERT, and MAO-A levels in the prefrontal cortex of CRS mice. Furthermore, VBFW (30g/mL) exhibited protective effects against H2O2-induced cell death via inhibition of the H2O2-induced increase in Bax and decrease in Bcl-2 levels within the mitochondria of SH-SY5Y cells. Furthermore, VBFW (10 and 30g/mL) exerted protective effects against H2O2-induced cell death through inhibition of key mitochondria-associated apoptotic proteins such as cytochrome c, caspase-3 and PARP. Additionally, VBFW (10 and 30g/mL) could improve the activity of anti-oxidant enzymes (such as SOD and catalase) in H2O2-treated SH-SY5Y cells. These results suggest that the antidepressant and anti-oxidant effects of VBFW might be mediated by the regulation of SERT and MAO-A, and possibly associated with regulation of oxidative stress-induced apoptosis.
