Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18(12), 2643; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms18122643
Aqueous Extract of Pomegranate Alone or in Combination with Citalopram Produces Antidepressant-Like Effects in an Animal Model of Menopause: Participation of Estrogen Receptors
Brenda Valdés-Sustaita 1, Carolina López-Rubalcava 1, María Eva González-Trujano 2, Cristina García-Viguera 3 and Erika Estrada-Camarena 4,*
1
Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados (CINVESTAV), Mexico City C.P.14330, Mexico
2
Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología de Productos Naturales, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría “Ramón de la Fuente,” Mexico City C.P.14370, Mexico
3
Department of Food Science and Technology, CEBAS-CSIC, 30100 Murcia, Spain
4
Laboratorio de Neuropsicofarmacología, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría “Ramón de la Fuente,” Mexico City C.P.14370, Mexico
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 3 November 2017 / Revised: 24 November 2017 / Accepted: 30 November 2017 / Published: 19 December 2017
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antidepressants and Mood Stabilizers: Novel Research Avenues and Recent Evidence-Based Clinical Insights)
Abstract
It has been reported that the aqueous extract of pomegranate (AE-PG) has polyphenols with estrogenic-like activities. The present work determines if AE-PG alone or in combination with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, citalopram, has antidepressant-like effects. It was also analyzed the participation of estrogen receptors (ER). AE-PG (0.1, 1.0, 10, or 100 mg/kg) was evaluated in ovariectomized female Wistar rats subjected to the forced swimming test. The effects induced by AE-PG were compared with those of citalopram (2.5, 5.0, 10, and 20.0 mg/kg) and 17β-estradiol (E2; 2.5 5.0, and 10 μg/rat). Likewise, the combination of suboptimal doses of AE-PG (0.1 mg/kg) plus citalopram (2.5 mg/kg) was evaluated. To determine if ER participates in the antidepressant-like action of pomegranate, the estrogen antagonist tamoxifen (15 mg/kg) was administered with AE-PG (1 mg/kg). AE-PG produced antidepressant-like actions with a similar behavioral profile induced by citalopram and E2. Suboptimal doses of citalopram plus AE-PG produced antidepressant-like effects. Tamoxifen was able to block AE-PG’s antidepressant-like actions. These results confirm the participation of ER in AE-PG’s antidepressant-like effects. Furthermore, the additive effects observed with the combined treatment of AE-PG plus citalopram could be advantageous in the treatment of depressive disorders, such as menopause. View Full-TextKeywords:
pomegranate fruit; citalopram; ovariectomy; antidepressant-like action; estrogen receptors; polyphenols
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Valdés-Sustaita, B.; López-Rubalcava, C.; González-Trujano, M.E.; García-Viguera, C.; Estrada-Camarena, E. Aqueous Extract of Pomegranate Alone or in Combination with Citalopram Produces Antidepressant-Like Effects in an Animal Model of Menopause: Participation of Estrogen Receptors. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2017, 18, 2643.
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