Chaihu Shugan San Regulates Bile Acid Metabolism and Neuroinflammation in the"Liver-Brain"Axis to Improve Depression-like Behaviors in Mice with Liver Depression Syndrome
ZHOU Jin
CHEN Xiaoying
ZHU Han
ZHOU Houyuan
HUANG Fei
WU Xiaojun
Abstract：Objective To explore the effect of Chaihu Shugan San(CHSGS)on the"liver-brain"axis in mice with liver depression syndrome.Methods A mouse model of liver depression syndrome was established by chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS)combined with solitary housing and randomly divided into control group,model group,CHSGS 10 g·kg-1 group,CHSGS 20 g·kg-1 group and venlafaxine group.The depression state of mice was evaluated by body weight measurement,sucrose preference test(SPT),tail suspension test(TST)and forced swimming test(FST).The contents of bile acids(BA)such as hyodeoxycholic acid(HDCA),deoxycholic acid(DCA),cholic acid(CA),tauroursodeoxycholic acid(TUDCA)and taurodeoxycholic acid(TDCA)in mouse serum were detected by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS).The protein expression levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine 2C receptor(5-HT2CR),cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2),inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS)and ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1(Iba-1)in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of mice were detected by Western blot(WB).Results Compared with the control group,the model group showed decreased body weight and sucrose preference rate,increased immobility time in TST and FST,increased contents of HDCA,DCA and CA in serum and decreased contents of TUDCA and TDCA,and increased protein expression in the hipocaupus and prefrontal lobe.All the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Compared with the model group,all drug administration methods could improve the depression-like behavior of mice to varying degrees,reduce the contents of HDCA,DCA and CA in serum and the protein expression in brain regions.All the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion The mechanism of the antidepressant effect of Chaihu Shugan San may be related to the regulation of bile acid metabolism and neuroinflammation in the"liver-brain"axis.
Keywords：Chaihu Shugan SanLiver depression syndromeLiver-brain axisBile acidProtein expression
Publication Date：2025-06-15
Online Publishing Date：2025-09-26(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：8( 1-6,27,后插1-后插3 )