Effects of gypenosides on anxiety disorders in MPTP-lesioned mouse model of Parkinson's disease

• Published in: Brain research Vol. 1567; pp. 57 - 65
• Main Authors: Shin, Keon Sung, Zhao, Ting Ting, Choi, Hyun Sook, Hwang, Bang Yeon, Lee, Chong Kil, Lee, Myung Koo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier 03.06.2014
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Animals; Anti-Anxiety Agents - pharmacology; Antiparkinson Agents - pharmacology; Anxiety Disorders - drug therapy; Anxiety Disorders - etiology; Anxiety Disorders - pathology; Anxiety Disorders - physiopathology; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - drug effects; Brain - pathology; Brain - physiopathology; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Dopamine - metabolism; Dopaminergic Neurons - drug effects; Dopaminergic Neurons - pathology; Dopaminergic Neurons - physiology; Ethanol - chemistry; Gynostemma; Gynostemma pentaphyllum; Levodopa - pharmacology; Male; Maze Learning - drug effects; Medical sciences; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Neurology; Neuroprotective Agents - pharmacology; Neuropsychological Tests; Organic mental disorders. Neuropsychology; Parkinsonian Disorders - complications; Parkinsonian Disorders - drug therapy; Parkinsonian Disorders - pathology; Parkinsonian Disorders - physiopathology; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts - isolation & purification; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Serotonin - metabolism; Water - chemistry; Animal model; Nervous system diseases; Dopamine; Serotonin; Rodentia; Anxiety disorder; Parkinson disease; Catecholamine; Cerebral disorder; Toxin; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Mouse; Animal; Central nervous system disease; Neurotoxin; Neurotransmitter; Gynostemma pentaphyllum; Degenerative disease; Lesion; MPTP; Elevated plus-maze; Gypenosides; Extrapyramidal syndrome
• ISSN: 0006-8993; 1872-6240
• DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.04.015

Ethanol extract (GP-EX) of Gynostemma pentaphyllum (GP) ameliorates chronic stress-induced anxiety in mice. The present study investigated the effects of gypenoside-enriched components (GPS), GP-EX and water extract of GP (GP-WX) on MPTP lesion-induced affective disorders in C57BL/6 mice. GPS (50mg/kg) and GP-EX (50mg/kg) for 21 day-treatment period improved the symptom of anxiety disorders in the MPTP-lesioned mouse model of PD with or without L-DOPA treatment, which was examined by the elevated plus-maze and marble burying tests. In these states, treatments with GPS (50mg/kg) and GP-EX (50mg/kg) significantly increased the brain levels of dopamine and serotonin in the MPTP-lesioned mouse model of PD with or without l-DOPA treatment. In addition, treatments with GPS (50mg/kg) and GP-EX (50mg/kg) showed protective effects on dopaminergic neurons in MPTP-lesioned mouse model of PD with or without L-DOPA treatment. In contrast, GPS (30 mg/kg) and GP-WX (50mg/kg) showed anxiolytic effects in the same animal models, but it was not significant. These results suggest that GPS (50mg/kg) and GP-EX (50mg/kg) showed anxiolytic effects on affective disorders and protective effects on dopaminergic neurons by modulating the brain levels of dopamine and serotonin in the MPTP-lesioned mouse model of PD with or without l-DOPA treatment. Clinical trials of GPS and GP-EX need to be conducted further so as to develop adjuvant therapeutic agents for PD patients.