CONTEXT: Silymarin (SM) is extracted from milk thistle Silybum marianum L. [Asteraceae (Compositae)] and known for antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. OBJECTIVE: The potential antidepressant-like effect of acute SM and possible involvement of nitric oxide (NO) were determined in male @entity19 . MATERIAL AND METHODS: SM was administered orally (5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 200   mg/kg; p.o.) 60   min before the tests. After assessment of locomotor activity, the immobility time was measured in forced swimming @entity1062 (FST) and @entity1062 ( @entity1062 ). To assess the possible involvement of NO, a non-specific NO synthase inhibitor, l-NAME (10   mg/kg, i.p.), and a specific @entity13633 inhibitor, aminoguanidine (AG) (50   mg/kg, i.p.), were administered separately 30   min before SM (20 and 100   mg/kg). RESULTS: SM at its effective doses 10, 20, 50, and 100   mg/kg decreased the immobility time in a dose-dependent manner (p   <   0.01, p   <   0.05, p   <   0.05, and p   <   0.001, respectively) in FST. SM (10, 20, 50, and 100   mg/kg) also lowered the immobility measure dose dependently in @entity1062 (p   <   0.01, p   <   0.05, p   <   0.01, and p   <   0.001, respectively). In addition, 50% of maximum response (ED50) of SM was around 10   mg/kg. The dose 100   mg/kg proved the most effective dose in both the tests. Further, this effect was not related to changes in locomotor activity. Moreover, l-NAME reversed the effect of SM (20 and 100   mg/kg) in FST and SM (100   mg/kg) in @entity1062 . However, AG did not influence this impact. CONCLUSION: The antidepressant-like effect of SM is probably mediated at least in part through NO and SM may increase NO tune.

Possible involvement of nitric oxide in antidepressant-like effect of silymarin in male XXXX .

@entity19 :: ('10090', 'Species') :: ['mice'] @entity13633 :: ('18126(Tax:10090)', 'Gene') :: ['iNOS'] @entity1062 :: ('MESH:D013736', 'Disease') :: ['tail suspension test', 'TST', 'test']
@entity19 :: (10090,Species) :: ['mice']
