Figure 2. KXS₂₀₁₂ restores the levels of neurotransmitters in CMS-induced depressive rat brain.

(A) The CMS-induced depressive rats were randomly divided into six groups as the protocol in Fig. 1. After drug treatment, the hippocampus was collected. The amounts of norepinephrine (NE), serotonin (5-HT) and ratio of 5-HIAA/5-HT in the extracts of hippocampus were calculated, as described in method session. Similar procedures were applied onto cerebral cortex (B) and striatum (C) of CMS-induced depressive rats. Additionally, the level of dopamine in striatum (C) was determined (bottom right). Dopamine level was too low to be measured in hippocampus and cortex. Values are expressed in μg/g or the number of ratio, Mean ± SEM, n = 8, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 and ***p < 0.001 compared to the corresponding control.