Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) is an active component of propolis that has a variety of potential pharmacological effects. Although we previously demonstrated that propolis has antidepressant-like activity, the effect of CAPE on this activity remains unknown. The present study assessed whether treatment with CAPE (5, 10, and 20 µmol/kg for 21 days) has an antidepressant-like effect in mice...

The present study was designed to investigate the central nervous system activity of 23 novel phenylpiperazine pyrrolidin-2-one derivatives. These compounds had marked antiarrhythmic and hypotensive activities and revealed affinity for α1- and α2-adrenoceptors. These effects may be related to their α-adrenolytic properties. We assessed their antidepressant-like effect in the forced swimming tes...

The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of mirtazapine (MIR) and risperidone (an atypical antipsychotic drug), given separately or jointly, on immobility time in the forced swimming test in male C57BL/6J mice. Fluoxetine (FLU) was used as a reference drug. MIR (2.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg) and FLU (5 and 10 mg/kg), or risperidone in low doses (0.05 and 0.1 mg/kg) given alone did not chan...

In the present study, the antidepressant-like effect of bacopaside I, a saponin compound present in the Bacopa monniera plant, was evaluated by behavioral and neurochemical methods. Bacopaside I (50, 15 and 5 mg/kg) was given to mice via oral gavage for 7 successive days. The treatment significantly decreased the immobility time in mouse models of despair tests, but it did not influence locomot...

Perillae Herba (a leaf of Perilla frutescens) has been prescribed as one of the component herbs in certain Kampo (Japanese herbal) medicines that are used clinically for the improvement of depressive mood. l-Perillaldehyde (PAH) is a major component in the essential oil containing in Perillae Herba, but its antidepressant-like effect has not been reported. To clarify the antidepressant-like eff...

The clinical efficacy of current antidepressant therapies is unsatisfactory; antidepressants induce a variety of unwanted effects, and, moreover, their therapeutic mechanism is not clearly understood. Thus, a search for better and safer agents is continuously in progress. Recently, studies have demonstrated that zinc and magnesium possess antidepressant properties. Zinc and magnesium exhibit an...

In past studies conducted by our group, riparin I (rip I) isolated from the green fruit of Aniba riparia presented antianxiety effects in mice, while its analogs rip II and III showed anxiolytic and antidepressant-like actions. This time around, we investigated a possible antidepressant activity of rip I using the forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) as predictive tests for...

BACKGROUND Our previous studies in a group of arylpiperazine derivatives of 1,3-dimethyl-3,7-dihydro-purine-2,6-diones, aimed at chemical diversification of the purine-2,6-dione by introduction of hydrophobic substituent in a 7- or 8- position or elongation of the linker length between arylpiperazine and purine core, allowed a selection of potent 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A and 5-HT7 receptor ligands displa...

OBJECTIVES Studies indicate that major deficiency in the levels of monoaminergic transmitters is a reason for severe depression. On the other hand, it is shown that Carthamus tinctorius L. (CT) may improve neuropsychological injuries by regulation of the monoamine transporter action. Hence, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the involvement of monoaminergic systems in antidepressant-l...

Deficiencies in serotonergic neurotransmission are involved in the pathophysiology of depression. Due to its modulatory effect on serotonin (5-HT) release, the 5-HT(1A)-receptor is thought to play a decisive role in the therapy of this mood disorder. However, it is not fully understood how antidepressant effects are mediated by pre- and postsynaptic receptor sites. In this study we examined the...