[Study on antidepressant effect of kuanxinjieyutang combined aerobic exercise]

To observe antidepressant effects of Kuanxinjieyutang (KXJYT), short-term aerobic exercise and their joint intervention and its possible mechanism.

Ninty-six SPF male KM mice were randomly divided into control group, imipramine, low dose (KXJYT 1.8 g crude drugs/kg bw/time/day), high dose (3.6 g crude drugs/kg bw/time/day), exercise group (swimming 30 min/times/day), joint group (low dose and swimming ), with 8 days intervention. The antidepressant effect was evaluated by forced swimming, tail suspension test and overhead cross maze test. After mice were killed, brain monoamine neurotransmitter levels of mice were detected by ELISA, and BDNF expression in brain was analyzed by Western blotting.

High dose group showed antidepressant effect like imipramine while low dose didn't. Exercise group showed similar or better antidepressant effect than imipramine. Joint group showed better interaction antidepressant effect. Brain NE, DA of high dose group and brain NE, DA and 5-HT content of exercise group increased significantly, similar to imipramine. Brain NE,DA and 5-HT content of Joint group were significantly higher than those of imipramine. The protein expression of BDNF in brain was more in imipramine, high dose,exercise and joint groups than that of control group, sports group was higher than that of low dose and high dose group, joint group was obviously higher than other groups.

Moderate KXJYT, short-term aerobic exercise and their joint intervention have obvious antidepressant effect on mild depression. Its mechanism may be related to increasing brain NE and 5-HT content, and inducing brain BDNF expression, which may affect the nerve regeneration and plasticity, improve cognitive function.