Antidepressant potential of total flavonoids from Astragalus in a chronic stress mouse model: Implications for myelination and Wnt/β-catenin/Olig2/Sox10 signaling axis modulation

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Radix Astragali, a versatile traditional Chinese medicinal herb, has a rich history dating back to "Sheng Nong's herbal classic". It has been employed in clinical practice to address various ailments, including depression. One of its primary active components, total flavonoids from Astragalus (TFA), remains unexplored in terms of its potential antidepressant properties. This study delves into the antidepressant effects of TFA using a mouse model subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS).

Aims of the study: The study aimed to scrutinize how TFA influenced depressive behaviors, corticosterone and glutamate levels in the hippocampus, as well as myelin-related protein expression in CUMS mice. Additionally, it sought to explore the involvement of the Wnt/β-catenin/Olig2/Sox10 signaling axis as a potential antidepressant mechanism of TFA.

Materials and methods: Male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to CUMS to induce depressive behaviors. TFA were orally administered at two different doses (50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg). A battery of behavioral tests, biochemical analyses, immunohistochemistry, UPLC-MS/MS, real-time PCR, and Western blotting were employed to evaluate the antidepressant potential of TFA. The role of the Wnt/β-catenin/Olig2/Sox10 signaling axis in the antidepressant mechanism of TFA was validated through MO3.13 cells.

Results: TFA administration significantly alleviated depressive behaviors in CUMS mice, as evidenced by improved sucrose preference, reduced immobility in tail suspension and forced swimming tests, and increased locomotor activity in the open field test. Moreover, TFA effectively reduced hippocampal corticosterone and glutamate levels and promoted myelin formation in the hippocampus of CUMS mice. Then, TFA increased Olig2 and Sox10 expression while inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in the hippocampus of CUMS mice. Finally, we further confirmed the role of TFA in promoting myelin regeneration through the Wnt/β-catenin/Olig2/Sox10 signaling axis in MO3.13 cells.

Conclusions: TFA exhibited promising antidepressant effects in the CUMS mouse model, facilitated by the restoration of myelin sheaths and regulation of corticosterone, glutamate, Olig2, Sox10, and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. This research provides valuable insights into the potential therapeutic application of TFA in treating depression, although further investigations are required to fully elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms and clinical relevance.

Keywords: Chronic unpredictable mild stress; Depression; Myelination; Total flavonoids from Astragalus.