%A FAN Xukun, SUN Yi, SONG Shuangshuang, CONG Yifan, HOU Xueqin
%T Effects of Osthole on Cortical Neurotransmitters and the Anxietyand Depresion-Like Behaviors in the Oxytocin Receptor-Silencing Rats#br#
%0 Journal Article
%D 2021
%J ACTA NEUROPHARMACOLOGICA
%R 10.3969/j.issn.2095-1396.2021.01.002
%P 11-17
%V 11
%N 1
%U {http://actanp.hebeinu.edu.cn/CN/abstract/article_746.shtml}
%8 2021-02-26
%X <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;">
	<b>Objective</b>: To explore the role of oxytocin
receptor (OTR) in regulating anxiety- and depression-like behaviors
and monoamine, amino acids and choline neurotransmitters in the cerebral cortex.
And to investigate the effects of osthole on neurotransmitters in OTR silencing
rats. <b>Method</b>: OTR silencing rats were
established via short hairpin
RNA (shRNA). Elevated plus maze and forced swimming test were used to
observe the effect of osthole on anxiety- and depression-like behaviors.
Q-orbitrap HPLC-HRMS was applied to detect neurotransmitters
in the cerebral cortex of rats. <b>Results</b>:
In the elevated plus maze, the number of entering the open arms and the residence
time in the open arms were significantly reduced in the OTR-shRNA rats compared
with the control group (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05). Osthole
(12.5 mg·kg<sup>-1</sup>)
treatment increased the number of entering the open arms and the residence time
in the open arms compared with the OTR-shRNA group (<i>P</i>&lt;0.01). Forced swimming test showed that the OTR-shRNA group
rats were immobile for longer than the control group (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05). The immobile time in the osthole (12.5 mg·kg<sup>-1</sup> and 25 mg·kg<sup>-1</sup>)
groups were reduced than that in the OTR-shRNA group (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05). Compared with the control group, the levels of dopamine
(DA) and L-glutamic acid in the cerebral cortex of the OTR-shRNA group were
higher (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05), and the levels of
5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), gamma
aminobutyric acid (GABA), and acetylcholine (Ach) were significantly lower (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05). Osthole (12.5 mg·kg<sup>-1</sup>)
reduced the level of DA, and increased the level of 5-HT, GABA and Ach (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05), whereas osthole (25 mg·kg<sup>-1</sup>)
increased the level of 5-HT and Ach (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05). <b>Conclusions:</b> Osthole could influence
neurotransmitters in the cerebral cortex, and attenuate anxiety- and
depression-like behaviors, which may be through regulating the OTR pathway. It
provides a new direction and basis for the research in central nervous system
disorders, such as depression.
</p>