[Effect of Polygala tenuifolia Willd YZ-50 on the mRNA expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and its receptor TrkB in rats with chronic stress depression].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Polygala tenuifolia Willd YZ-50 on the mRNA expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF) and its receptor TrkB in rats with chronic stress depression.es. METHODS: Normal male Wistar rats were divided in to control group, model group, desipramine (20 mg/kg) group, and low and high-dose (2.8 and 5.6 g/kg) YZ-50 groups. The total RNA was extracted from the rats with chronic stress depression, and the mRNA expression of BDNF and TrkB was detected by RT-PCR. RESULTS: Compared with the model group, YZ-50 at both low and high doses significantly increased the mRNA expression of BDNF and TrkB in the hippocampus of rats with chronic stress depression, and the effect was more obvious in the high-dose group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: YZ-50 can up-regulate the expression of BDNF and TrkB mRNA to promote the recovery of the neurons from chronic stress-induced damages and produces anti-depressant effect.