The effects of Rhodiola rosea extract on 5-HT level, cell proliferation and quantity of neurons at cerebral hippocampus

of depressive rats
Q.G. Chena, Y.S. Zenga, ,
, Z.Q. Qua, J.Y. Tanga, Y.J. Qina, P. Chungb , R. Wongc and U. Häggc

a
Department of Histology and Embryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, 74# Zhongshan
Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China

b
Private Practice, Hong Kong, China

c
Biomedical and Tissue Engineering, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

Available online 28 April 2009.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Rhodiola rosea extract and depression on the serotonin (5-
HT) level, cell proliferation and quantity of neurons at cerebral hippocampus of depressive rats induced by Chronic
Mild Stress (CMS). Seventy male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into seven groups (10 per group): normal control
group, untreated depressive rat model group, negative control group, positive control group, low dosage Rhodiola
rosea extract (1.5 g/kg) group, medium dosage Rhodiola rosea extract (3 g/kg) group and high dosage Rhodiola
rosea extract (6 g/kg) group. After the depressive rats induced by CMS had received Rhodiola rosea extract for 3
weeks, the 5-HT levels at cerebral hippocampus were detected by high performance liquid chromatography.
Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) was injected in vivo to label the proliferating cells at hippocampus, and morphometry was
used to count the hippocampal neurons. The results showed that the 5-HT level of the three experimental groups had
recovered to normal status. The immunohistochemistry of hippocampus BrdU positive cells had returned to the normal
level in the group of depressive rats with low dosage Rhodiola rosea extract. In conclusion the results demonstrated
that Rhodiola rosea extract could improve 5-HT level in hippocampus in depressive rats, and low dosage Rhodiola
rosea could induce neural stem cell proliferation at hippocampus to return to normal level, repairing the injured neurons
at hippocampus.