Investigating the effects of different herbal preparations, 5-hydroxytryptophan and involuntary exercise on affective bias modification in male Lister Hooded rats.
Justyna K Hinchcliffe, Sarah A Stuart, Emma S J Robinson
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Mood disorders are a prevalent global health concern with natural health products, including herbal supplements, an increasingly popular choice as an alternative or complementary therapy. Despite their widespread use, few studies have tested the clinical efficacy of natural health products or explored their underlying mechanisms in animal models. Modification of affective biases has been linked to mood in humans and animal models and may provide insights into potential antidepressant effects. In this study, we used a translational rodent model of affective bias modification to investigate the effects of five commonly used supplements: Hypericum perforatum , that is, St. John's Wort (SJW), Mucuna pruriens , Rhodiola rosea root extract, Valerian root extract and 5-hydroxytryptophan. Exercise is also thought to improve mood disorders, but clinical studies reveal mixed results therefore we also tested the effect of involuntary exercise on affective biases. In separate experiments, male Lister Hooded rats were acutely treated with SJW, Mucuna pruriens , Rhodiola rosea root extract, Valerian root extract and 5-hydroxytryptophan, or underwent an involuntary exercise manipulation. Our results showed a significant positive affective bias following treatment with SJW, whilst the involuntary exercise induced a negative affective bias in rats. No effects were found following the other acute treatments. These data suggest SJW has similar effects in terms of affective bias modification as conventional antidepressants. The negative affective bias observed with involuntary exercise suggests the animals experience a negative affective state and suggests exercise-based therapy may be less effective if the patient perceives this as involuntary.
期刊介绍:
Behavioural Pharmacology accepts original full and short research reports in diverse areas ranging from ethopharmacology to the pharmacology of schedule-controlled operant behaviour, provided that their primary focus is behavioural. Suitable topics include drug, chemical and hormonal effects on behaviour, the neurochemical mechanisms under-lying behaviour, and behavioural methods for the study of drug action. Both animal and human studies are welcome; however, studies reporting neurochemical data should have a predominantly behavioural focus, and human studies should not consist exclusively of clinical trials or case reports. Preference is given to studies that demonstrate and develop the potential of behavioural methods, and to papers reporting findings of direct relevance to clinical problems. Papers making a significant theoretical contribution are particularly welcome and, where possible and merited, space is made available for authors to explore fully the theoretical implications of their findings. Reviews of an area of the literature or at an appropriate stage in the development of an author’s own work are welcome. Commentaries in areas of current interest are also considered for publication, as are Reviews and Commentaries in areas outside behavioural pharmacology, but of importance and interest to behavioural pharmacologists. Behavioural Pharmacology publishes frequent Special Issues on current hot topics. The editors welcome correspondence about whether a paper in preparation might be suitable for inclusion in a Special Issue.