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Original Article

Exp Neurobiol 2013; 22(2): 96-106

Published online June 30, 2013

https://doi.org/10.5607/en.2013.22.2.96

© The Korean Society for Brain and Neural Sciences

Protective Effects of Curcumin and Sertraline on the Behavioral Changes in Chronic Variable Stress-Induced Rats

Ali Noorafshan1,2, Mohammad-Amin Abdollahifar2, Saied Karbalay-Doust1,2*, Reza Asadi-Golshan2 and Ali Rashidian-Rashidabadi2

1Histomorphometry and Stereology Research Centre, Anatomy Department, School of Medicine, 2Anatomy Department, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz 71348-45794, Iran

Correspondence to: *To whom correspondence should be addressed.
TEL: 98-711-2304372, FAX: 98-711-2304372
e-mail: karbalas@sums.ac.ir

Abstract

Behavioral characteristics of the animal models and humans are impaired in chronic stress. The present study aimed to evaluate and compare the protective effects of sertraline and curcumin on stress-induced learning and memory impairment, anxiety and anhedonia in rats. Male rats were divided into seven groups: stress+water, stress+olive oil, stress+curcumin (100 mg/kg/day), stress+sertraline (10 mg/kg/day), curcumin, sertraline, and control groups. The rats were exposed to chronic variable stress for 56 days. At the end of 40 days and while the previous treatments were continued, the rats were tested in the eight radial maze, elevated plus maze, and sucrose consumption for learning and memory, anxiety, and anhedonia, respectively. In comparison to the non-stressed group, stress+water and stress+olive oil groups revealed a significantly lower percent of correct choices and higher reference and working memory errors during learning and retention phases (p<0.001). In addition these stress groups showed a significant lower percent of the open arms time and open arms entries in the elevated plus maze and consuming less sucrose solution. In addition, the stress+curcumin and stress+sertraline groups showed a better performance in the evaluated parameters of the radial arm maze, elevated plus maze, and sucrose consumption tests. It appears that curcumin and sertraline have the similar effectiveness on behavioral changes in chronic variable stress-induced rats.

Keywords: curcumin, sertraline, memory deficits, anxiety, stress, rat