2. Academic Validation
  3. Nervonic acid improves depression like behaviors and demyelination of medial prefrontal cortex in chronic restraint stress mice

Nervonic acid improves depression like behaviors and demyelination of medial prefrontal cortex in chronic restraint stress mice

  • Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2024 Nov 12:733:150696. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.150696.
Shijia Ma 1,  Zhengwei Lue 2,  Genghua Xu 1,  Yun Ma 2,  Wenyue Yuan 2,  Zhenhui Huang 2,  Songhui Hu 2,  Lushan Yu 3,  Xiangnan Zhang 4
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, State Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery and Release Systems, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China.
  • 2 Jinhua Institute of Zhejiang University, 321299, Jinhua, China.
  • 3 Jinhua Institute of Zhejiang University, 321299, Jinhua, China; Institute of Drug Metabolism and Pharmaceutical Analysis, State Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery and Release Systems, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China.
  • 4 Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, State Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery and Release Systems, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China; Jinhua Institute of Zhejiang University, 321299, Jinhua, China. Electronic address: xiangnan_zhang@zju.edu.cn.
PMID: 39288700 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.150696
Abstract

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by depressed mood, behavioral despair and anhedonia. Demyelination in specific brain regions underlies the pathology of MDD, raising the alleviating demyelination as a potential strategy for MDD therapy. Nervonic acid (NA) has the potential to improve brain demyelination, offering benefits for various neurological disorders. However, its effects on depression remain undetermined. Mice were subjected to 14 days of chronic restraint stress (CRS) to induce depression-like behaviors, and were injected with NA (70 mg/kg) daily. The administration of NA significantly improved depressive-like behaviors in CRS mice. CRS led to significant demyelination in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), which were reversed by NA treatment. In addition, NA ameliorated the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines and downregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, improved the alternations in axonal spines observed in the mPFC of CRS mice. Our results highlighted the potential of NA as an antidepressant, with its benefits likely attributed to its effects in alleviating demyelination in the mPFC.

Keywords

Demyelination; Depression; Medial prefrontal cortex; Nervonic acid.

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