• Zhen Huang, Xiao-Ming Zhong, Zhao-Yi Li, Chun-Rong Feng, Ai-Juan Pan, and Qing-Qiu Mao.
• College of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Chinese Medicine University, Hangzhou 310053, Zhejiang, China. zhen626@yahoo.com.cn
• Neurosci. Lett. 2011 Apr 15;493(3):145-8.

AbstractA rat model of depression has been recently developed using exogenous corticosterone (CORT) administration. This study aimed to examine the antidepressant-like effect and the possible mechanisms of curcumin in a CORT-induced depression model in rats. The results showed that 3-week CORT injections caused depression-like behavior in rats, as indicated by the significant decrease in sucrose consumption and increase in immobility time in the forced swim test. Repeated CORT injections also significantly decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein levels in the hippocampus and frontal cortex of the rats. Treatment of the rats with curcumin significantly suppressed the depression-like behavior and the decrease in brain BDNF levels induced by the repeated CORT injections. The results suggest that curcumin produces an antidepressant-like effect in CORT-treated rats, which is possibly mediated by increasing BDNF expression in the hippocampus and frontal cortex.Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

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