Ferulic acid exerts antidepressant-like effect in the tail suspension test in mice: Evidence for the involvement of the serotonergic system

AbstractFerulic acid (4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid) is a phenolic compound present in several plants with claimed beneficial effects in prevention and treatment of disorders linked to oxidative stress and inflammation. In this study, we aimed to verify the possible antidepressant-like effect of acute oral administration of ferulic acid in the forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) in mice. Additionally, the mechanisms involved in the antidepressant-like action and the effects of the association of ferulic acid with the antidepressants fluoxetine, paroxetine, and sertraline in the TST were investigated. Ferulic acid produced an antidepressant-like effect in the FST and TST (0.01–10mg/kg, p.o.), without accompanying changes in ambulation. The pretreatment of mice with WAY100635 (0.1mg/kg, s.c., a selective 5-HT1A receptor antagonist) or ketanserin (5mg/kg, i.p., a 5-HT2A receptor antagonist) was able to reverse the anti-immobility effect of ferulic acid (0.01mg/kg, p.o.) in the TST. The combination of fluoxetine (5mg/kg, p.o.), paroxetine (0.1mg/kg, p.o.) or sertraline (1mg/kg, p.o.) with a sub-effective dose of ferulic acid (0.001mg/kg, p.o.) produced a synergistic antidepressant-like effect in the TST, without causing hyperlocomotion in the open-field test. Taken together, these results demonstrate that ferulic acid exerts antidepressant-like effect in the FST and TST in mice through modulation of the serotonergic system

The activation of α1-adrenoceptors is implicated in the antidepressant-like effect of creatine in the tail suspension test

AbstractThe antidepressant-like activity of creatine in the tail suspension test (TST) was demonstrated previously by our group. In this study we investigated the involvement of the noradrenergic system in the antidepressant-like effect of creatine in the mouse TST. In the first set of experiments, creatine administered by i.c.v. route (1μg/site) decreased the immobility time in the TST, suggesting the central effect of this compound. The anti-immobility effect of peripheral administration of creatine (1mg/kg, p.o.) was prevented by the pretreatment of mice with α-methyl-p-tyrosine (100mg/kg, i.p., inhibitor of tyrosine hydroxylase), prazosin (1mg/kg, i.p., α1-adrenoceptor antagonist), but not by yohimbine (1mg/kg, i.p., α2-adrenoceptor antagonist). Creatine (0.01mg/kg, subeffective dose) in combination with subeffective doses of amitriptyline (1mg/kg, p.o., tricyclic antidepressant), imipramine (0.1mg/kg, p.o., tricyclic antidepressant), reboxetine (2mg/kg, p.o., selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor) or phenylephrine (0.4μg/site, i.c.v., α1-adrenoceptor agonist) reduced the immobility time in the TST as compared with either drug alone. These results indicate that the antidepressant-like effect of creatine is likely mediated by an activation of α1-adrenoceptor and that creatine produces synergistic effects in the TST with antidepressants that modulate noradrenaline transporter, suggesting that an improvement in the response to the antidepressant therapy may occur when creatine is combined with these antidepressants. Furthermore, the synergistic effect of creatine (0.01mg/kg, p.o.) and reboxetine (2mg/kg, p.o.) combination was abolished by the α1-adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin, indicating that the antidepressant-like effect of combined therapy is likely mediated by an activation of α1-adrenoceptor

Combined use of phosphonium-erythrosin B-based nanoGUMBOS, UV–Vis spectroscopy, and chemometrics for discrimination and quantification of proteins

Nanoparticles derived from a group of uniform materials based on organic salts (nanoGUMBOS) are considered promising candidates for protein analysis due to their facile synthesis in aqueous media and high tunability. In this study, a phosphonium-erythrosin B-based nanoGUMBOS (i.e., [P4444]2[EB]) was prepared using an ultrasound-assisted reprecipitation method, and its ability to discriminate and quantify proteins was evaluated. Sonication time (30 s, 5 min, and 15 min) and cyclodextrin templating (α-, 2-HP-β-, and γ-CD) were investigated for their effects on discrimination performance of synthesized nanomaterial. Six proteins (albumin, hemoglobin, trypsin, catalase, lysozyme, and cytochrome c) with different abundance levels and physicochemical properties were selected as target analytes. Absorbance response patterns generated from interactions between [P4444]2[EB] nanoGUMBOS and proteins were analyzed using partial least squares discriminant analysis. Percentages of correct protein discrimination ranged from 94.6 to 99.6%, with the latter being the best result obtained using non-templated nanoGUMBOS formed after 5 min sonication. Under optimized conditions, it was possible to discriminate all protein samples with percentages of correct assignments greater than 90% for concentrations as low as 2.0 μg mL−1. The discrimination capability of synthesized nanoGUMBOS was further evaluated using mixtures of different ratios of lysozyme, cytochrome c, and hemoglobin. Finally, partial least squares models were developed for protein quantification and the best performance was observed for albumin. Results support potential use of [P4444]2[EB] nanoGUMBOS in combination with ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy and chemometrics for qualitative and quantitative analyses of individual proteins and mixtures of proteins.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio