Evidence mapPaperPMID 41499003Full record

ArticleNeurochemical research2026

Neuroprotective Effects of C-Phycocyanin in Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress-Exposed Rats: Regulation of Neuroinflammation and CREB/BDNF Signaling.

Abdolkarim Talebi Taheri, Ehsan Dadgostar, Felora Ferdosi, Fatemeh Rahmati-Dehkordi, Zahra Karimi, Michael Aschner, Elham Zahedi, Hamed Mirzaei, Fatemeh Nabavizadeh, Omid Reza Tamtaji

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Article in Neurochemical research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Abdolkarim Talebi TaheriDepartment of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Ehsan DadgostarBehavioral Sciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Felora FerdosiDepartment of Radiology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
Fatemeh Rahmati-DehkordiElectrophysiology Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Zahra KarimiRoss and Carol Nese College of Nursing, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
Michael AschnerDepartment of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
Elham ZahediDepartment of Physiology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Hamed MirzaeiResearch Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Islamic Republic of Iran. h.mirzaei2002@gmail.com.
Fatemeh NabavizadehElectrophysiology Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. nabavizadeh@tums.ac.ir.
Omid Reza TamtajiElectrophysiology Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. or-tamtaji@razi.tums.ac.ir.

Funding

Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services 1402-4-233-69566
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Depression is a widespread neuropsychiatric disorder that significantly impacts emotional and cognitive function. Antidepressant medications are frequently accompanied by various adverse effects. C-phycocyanin has been previously shown to exert potent anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. Therefore, this study evaluated the therapeutic effects of C-phycocyanin against anxiety and depressive-like behaviors, and memory dysfunction in an animal model of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depression and explored the underlying mechanisms. Rats were daily exposed for six weeks to CUMS, during which phycocyanin (100 mg/kg, orally) was administered in the final three weeks of the study. Following the assessment of anxiety/ depressive-like behaviors, and memory dysfunction by the open field test (OFT), tail suspension test (TST), elevated plus maze (EPM), and passive avoidance test (PAT), rats were euthanized by decapitation. Then, hippocampal TNF-α and IL-1β concentrations, and hippocampal protein expressions (Iba-1, CD86, NF-κβ, CREB, and BDNF) were determined by an ELISA assay, and western blots, respectively. C-phycocyanin significantly decreased immobility time in OFT and TST, increased open arm time in EPM, and step-through latency time in PAT. Furthermore, C-phycocyanin suppressed CUMS-induced the M1 microglia polarization and neuroinflammation by reducing hippocampal TNF-α and IL-1β concentrations, and the protein expression of Iba-1, CD86, and NF-κβ in the hippocampus of CUMS-exposed rats. It also increased the hippocampal protein expression of CREB and BDNF. C-phycocyanin improved CUMS-induced anxiety and depressive-like behaviors, and memory dysfunction, which could be explained, at least in part, by inhibition of M1 microglial polarization and neuroinflammation, and enhancement of CREB/BDNF signaling.

Indexed as

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic FactorNeuroinflammatory DiseasesNeuroprotective AgentsPhycocyaninStress, PsychologicalAnimalsCyclic AMP Response Element-Binding ProteinDepressionHippocampusMaleRatsRats, Sprague-DawleySignal TransductionBdnf protein, ratBrain-Derived Neurotrophic FactorCyclic AMP Response Element-Binding ProteinNeuroprotective AgentsPhycocyaninAnxietyCognitionC-phycocyaninDepressionNeuroinflammation

Identifiers

PMID41499003

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.