Min-Yuan Wang, Jia-Mei Li, Yi-Lin Wu, Yi Zhang, Ting Hu, Wen-Jun Su, Ji-Feng Feng, Chun-Lei Jiang
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
The role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in regulating oxidative stress and immune responses has been increasingly recognized. However, its involvement in depression and the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the effect of 6-formylindolo[3,2-b]carbazole (FICZ), an endogenous AhR ligand, on a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced depression model and the underlying mechanism. After being treated with FICZ (50 mg/kg), male C57BL/6J mice received intraperitoneal injection of LPS and underwent behavioral tests 24 h later. The levels of inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, were measured in the hippocampus and serum using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression levels of CYP1A1, AhR and NLRP3 were analyzed using qPCR and Western blot. The results showed that, compared with control group, LPS alone significantly down-regulated the expression levels of CYP1A1 mRNA and AhR protein in the hippocampus of mice, reduced glucose preference, prolonged immobility time in forced swimming test, increased IL-6 and IL-1β levels in the hippocampus, increased serum IL-1β level, and up-regulated NLRP3 mRNA and protein expression levels in mouse hippocampus, while FICZ significantly reversed the aforementioned effects of LPS. These findings suggest that AhR activation attenuates the inflammatory response associated with depression and modulates the expression of NLRP3. The present study provides novel insights into the role of AhR in the development of depression, and presents AhR as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of depression.
期刊介绍:
Acta Physiologica Sinica (APS) is sponsored by the Chinese Association for Physiological Sciences and Shanghai Institutes of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and is published bimonthly by the Science Press, China. APS publishes original research articles in the field of physiology as well as research contributions from other biomedical disciplines and proceedings of conferences and symposia of physiological sciences. Besides “Original Research Articles”, the journal also provides columns as “Brief Review”, “Rapid Communication”, “Experimental Technique”, and “Letter to the Editor”. Articles are published in either Chinese or English according to authors’ submission.