Antidepressant-like effects of Rg1 by mycn: promotion of neurogenesis in the hippocampus

Ginsenoside Rg1 has been shown to have antidepressant effects by increasing hippocampal neurogenesis, but the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this research, we showed that Rg1 has antidepressant-like effects by increasing neurogenesis in the hippocampus, and these effects are achieved through Mycn. The evidence shows that Rg1 has antidepressant like effects in the tail suspension test, sucrose preference test. Moreover, Rg1 has anxiolytic-like effects in the O-maze test. In addition, Rg1 increases Mycn mRNA expression by q-PCR test. Mycn overexpression in the DG of ventral hippocampus is stress resilient. Furthermore, Mycn inhibition makes the mice more susceptible to depression and Rg1 cannot rescue this effect. In conclusion, Ginsenoside Rg1 targets Mycn to increase hippocampal neurogenesis to alleviate depressive-like behaviors.