Antidepressant-like effects of curcumin in WKY rat model of depression is associated with an increase in hippocampal BDNF

► Curcumin exhibits antidepressant effect in WKY rat model of depression. ► Antidepressant effect of curcumin is associated with an increase in hippocampal BDNF. ► Curcumin may prove an effective and lasting antidepressant. Curcumin is the principal active ingredient found in turmeric (Curcuma longa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Behavioural brain research 2013-02, Vol.239, p.27-30
Main Authors: Hurley, Laura L., Akinfiresoye, Luli, Nwulia, Evaristus, Kamiya, Atsushi, Kulkarni, Amol A., Tizabi, Yousef
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Animal Model
Animal models
Animals
Antidepressants
Antidepressive Agents - pharmacology
Antidepressive Agents - therapeutic use
BDNF
Behavioral psychophysiology
Biological and medical sciences
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor - metabolism
Curcuma longa
Curcumin
Curcumin - pharmacology
Curcumin - therapeutic use
Data processing
Depression
Depression - drug therapy
Depression - metabolism
Diets
Disease Models, Animal
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Drug development
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Helplessness, Learned
Herbal medicines
Hippocampus
Hippocampus - drug effects
Hippocampus - metabolism
Locomotor activity
Male
Medical sciences
Medicinal plants
Mood disorders
Motor Activity - drug effects
Neuropharmacology
Neurotrophic factors
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer
Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease)
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Psychopharmacology
Rats
Rats, Inbred WKY
Rats, Wistar
WKY Rats
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Summary:► Curcumin exhibits antidepressant effect in WKY rat model of depression. ► Antidepressant effect of curcumin is associated with an increase in hippocampal BDNF. ► Curcumin may prove an effective and lasting antidepressant. Curcumin is the principal active ingredient found in turmeric (Curcuma longa), a plant used in traditional Asian diets and herbal medicines. It is known to have a wide range of biological actions including antidepressant-like effects which have been observed in stress-induced depression models. This study was designed to investigate the antidepressant potential of curcumin in a non-induced model of depression. Moreover, since brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been implicated in antidepressant effects of many drugs, we also evaluated the effects of curcumin on BDNF in the hippocampus. Adult male Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats, a putative model of depression, were injected acutely or chronically (10d) with 50, 100, and 200mg/kg curcumin. Open field locomotor activity (OFLA) and forced swim test (FST), a measure of helplessness, were measured 1h after acute and 18–20h after last chronic injection. Results showed a dose-dependent reduction of immobility in the FST by curcumin in both acute and chronic studies, without any significant effect on OFLA. The effect of higher chronic curcumin dose in FST was still evident a week later. Chronic curcumin also resulted in a dose-dependent increase in hippocampal BDNF. This data provides evidence for an antidepressant-like effect of curcumin, possibly through increased neurotrophic activity, in the WKY model of depression, and support the notion that curcumin may prove an effective and lasting natural antidepressant.
ISSN:0166-4328
1872-7549
DOI:10.1016/j.bbr.2012.10.049