β-asarone from Acorus gramineus alleviates depression by modulating MKP-1

Genet Mol Res. 2015 May 4;14(2):4495-504. doi: 10.4238/2015.May.4.7.

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the antidepressant effects of hippocampal neuron administration of β-asarone, a selective mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 inhibitor, in a rat model of depression. Our previous studies showed that the extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling pathway and brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression, which is regulated by extracellular signal-regulated kinase, are key links in the biological mechanism of depression. Mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) is a negative regulatory protein of extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling pathways. In this study, we explored the regulation of MKP-1 by β-asarone in producing an antidepressant effect.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acorus*
  • Allylbenzene Derivatives
  • Animals
  • Anisoles / pharmacology*
  • Antidepressive Agents / pharmacology*
  • Depression / drug therapy*
  • Depression / genetics
  • Depression / metabolism
  • Dual Specificity Phosphatase 1 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Dual Specificity Phosphatase 1 / genetics
  • Gene Expression
  • Male
  • Rats
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • Allylbenzene Derivatives
  • Anisoles
  • Antidepressive Agents
  • asarone
  • DUSP1 protein, human
  • Dual Specificity Phosphatase 1