Antidepressant effect of EGCG through the inhibition of hippocampal neuroinflammation in chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced depression rat model

Abstract

In our study, a chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced depression rat model was constructed then the antidepressant effects and mechanisms of Epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate (EGCG) have been evaluaed accordingly. In the study, there were three subgroups of stochastically-selected male Wistar rats, namely, Control, CUMS-induced (chronic unpredictable mild stress) and CUMS with EGCG administration. The outcomes of sucrose preference and open-field tests presented the antidepressant-like effects of EGCG. With EGCG treatment, the levels of IL-6 and NO had significantly declined. Through EGCG administration, the suppressed expression of caspase-3 and caspase-9 mRNA in hippocampus was exhibited in the experiment. The implication of experimental outcomes can be served as preclinical evidences for therapeutic applications in the treatment of depression potentially, because of the antidepressant-like role of EGCG played against inflammation to protect neurons in hippocampus.

Keywords

• EGCG
• Hippocampus
• Inflammatory
• Apoptosis
• Depression-related behavior