Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences

« Back to Farmacia Journal 6/2021

HYPERICUM SP. EXTRACTS IMPROVE ANXIETY-LIKE BEHAVIOUR AND INFLUENCE CEREBRAL HMOX1 EXPRESSION IN A RAT MODEL OF FG-7142 – INDUCED ANXIETY

ALEXANDRA C. SEVASTRE-BERGHIAN 1#, VLAD A. TOMA 2, BOGDAN SEVASTRE 3, DANIELA BENEDEC 4, ILIOARA ONIGA 4, LORENA FILIP 4#, IOANA BÂLDEA 1, ŞOIMIŢA SUCIU 1, CRISTIAN PAUL POPOVICI 3, ROXANA LIANA LUCACIU 4, NICOLETA DECEA 1, SIMONA V. CLICHICI 1, IRINA IELCIU 4, GABRIELA A. FILIP 1*, DANIELA HANGANU 4

1Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 1 Clinicilor Street, 400006, Cluj-Napoca,
Romania
2NIRD for Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, Department of Molecular and Biomolecular Physics, 101 Donat Street, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
3Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine, 3-5 Mănăștur Street, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
4Faculty of Pharmacy, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 8 Victor Babeș Street, 400012, ClujNapoca, Romania

Download Full Article PDF

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Hypericum maculatum (HM) and Hypericum perforatum (HP) dry extracts compared to quercetin (Q), on ambulatory activity and GABA levels on FG-7142 (FG) induced anxiety model in Wistar rats. Histopathological changes in hippocampus and frontal lobe and heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1) immunoreactivity in frontal cortex were also investigated. Q (30 mg/kg bw) increased gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in the frontal lobe, enhanced general locomotion and central exploration behaviour in the open field test (OFT) and elevated plus maze (EPM). Both Hypericum sp. extracts (HpE) administered in doses of 350 mg/kg bw improved central locomotion in OFT. Quercetin administration increased HMOX1 expression whereas both extracts decreased HMOX1 immunoreactivity in frontal cortex neurons. To conclude, HpE may improve anxiety-like behaviour and modulate HMOX1 immunoreactivity in frontal cortex neurons.