| خلاصه مقاله | Background and objectives: Chronic stress induces a wide range of neurochemical and neurobehavioral alternations,
resulting in mood disturbances. This study examined the effects of silk protein (Sericin), on anxiety- and depressivelike
behaviors, oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HIP)
of spatial restraint stress-subjected mice.
Materials and methods: Mice were randomized into 5 groups: control, restraint stress (RS), RS+ sericin100,
RS+sericin150, and RS+sericin200. Animals in the stress groups were subjected to chronic spatial restraint stress (3
h/day for 21 days). Sericin-treated mice were received sericin (100, 150, and 200 mg/kg/day, gavage for 21 days)
along with immobilization. Anxiety-like behaviors were assessed by elevated plus maze (EPM) and open field test
(OFT), and depressive-like behaviors were evaluated by the forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST).
Serum levels of corticosterone, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and markers of oxidative stress, proinflammatory
cytokines, and apoptosis-related proteins were evaluated in the PFC and HIP regions.
Results: Silk Sericin prolonged time spent in open arms of EPM apparatus and increased number of central entries in
OFT. Moreover, it reduced immobility time in TST and FST. Furthermore, sericin decreased ROS and MDA levels,
restored MMP, and enhanced total antioxidant capacity and enzyme activity of GPx and SOD, and decreased NF-
êB, TNF-á, and IL-1â levels in HIP and PFC Additionally, sericin reduced corticosterone concentration and
inhibited mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis pathway.
Conclusion: These findings provide evidence for the protective effect of sericin therapy against neurochemical and
behavioral changes induced by restraint stress. |