Therapeutic effect of Jujube seeds extract on repeated nicotine-induced behavioral sensitization in rats

Jiao Yu; Wang Yefu; Wu Tong; Wang Xiaolong; Cui Guangcheng; Zhao Rongjie

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1009-6574.2019.03.016

Abstract：Objectives? To observe the therapeutic effect of Jujube seeds extract on the sensitisation of rat nicotine behaviour, and to explore its neurochemical mechanism. Methods? Thirty-six adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into normal saline group (group A), single nicotine group (group B), nicotine behavioural sensitisation model group (group C), and jujube seed low-dose treatment group (group D), high dose treatment group (group E) and high dose of jujube group (group F). Groups C, D and E were injected subcutaneously with nicotine [0.4 mg/(kg·d)] for 7 days. Groups A, B and F were injected with the same volume of normal saline for 7 days, and then discontinued for 3 days. During the withdrawal period, the D, E and F groups were administered with the jujube extract once a day respectively (low dose group: 60 mg/kg, high dose group: 180 mg/kg), and groups A, B and C were administered with equal volume of drinking water. On the third day, 1 hour after gastrointestinal administration, except for the A and F groups, the other groups of rats were given an activated dose of nicotine (0.4 mg/kg). Immediately after using the rat spontaneous activity detection system to detect the spontaneous activity of rats within 60 min, then the ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to detect the dopamine content in rat striatum. Results? Compared with group A and group B, the spontaneous activity of rats in group C increased significantly, while the sensitisation of spontaneous activity caused by multiple nicotine was decreased in D and E group in a dose-dependent manner. Simultaneously the high-dose jujube kernel treatment itself did not significantly change the spontaneous activity of the rats. HPLC showed that the dopamine content in C group was significantly higher than that of B group, while it was significantly reduced in D and E group. Conclusions? Jujube seeds can improve the behavioural sensitisation of nicotine rats, and its mechanism may be related to the reduction of dopamine content in the striatum of rat brain.