Fig. 1

Berberine prevents CORT-induced behavioral changes. a Schematic of experiment paradigm. CORT was consecutively administered from day1 to day35. From day7, 100 mg/kg/day or 200 mg/kg/day of berberine were given to mice in BBR100 or BBR200 groups via daily intragastrical administration, respectively. Mice in control and CORT groups received solution without berberine. Mice were given BrdU as daily intraperitoneal injections from day8 to day12. From day28 to day31, a series of behavioral tests were conducted for mice, CORT and berberine administration were sustained during behavioral tests until to the end of the experiment (day35). b Heatmap of mice exploration during the open field test. c Duration in central zone in the open field test. CORT mice spent less time in the central zone than the control mice (One-way ANOVA, F (3, 32) = 5.448, P = 0.0038; Dunnett’s multiple comparisons test, CORT vs. Control, P = 0.0012, n = 9 in each group). d Total distance in the open field test. CORT mice moved less in the field than the control and high-dose berberine mice (One-way ANOVA, F (3, 32) = 4.203, P = 0.0129; Dunnett’s multiple comparisons test, CORT vs. Control, P = 0.0077, CORT vs. BBR200, P = 0.0212, n = 9 in each group). e Zone transition number in the open field test. CORT administration decreased the number of zone transitions in mice in the open field test compared to the control and high-dose berberine mice (One-way ANOVA, F (3, 32) = 5.711, P = 0.0030; Dunnett’s multiple comparisons test, CORT vs. Control, P = 0.0008, CORT vs. BBR200, P = 0.0429, n = 9 in each group). f Immobile duration in the tail suspension test. CORT mice spent more time in immobile duration (One-way ANOVA, F (3, 28) = 6.435, P = 0.0019; Dunnett’s multiple comparisons test, CORT vs. Control, P = 0.0005, CORT vs. BBR100, P = 0.0425, CORT vs. BBR200, P = 0.0345, n = 8 in each group). g Immobile duration in the forced swim test. CORT mice spent more time in immobile duration (One-way ANOVA, F (3, 32) = 6.316, P = 0.0017; Dunnett’s multiple comparisons test, CORT vs. Control, P = 0.0007, CORT vs. BBR100, P = 0.0145, CORT vs. BBR200, P = 0.0141, n = 9 in each group). h Sucrose consumption in the sucrose preference test. The consumption of sucrose in CORT mice was significantly lower than in the mice in control and high-dose berberine groups (One-way ANOVA, F (3, 32) = 4.638, P = 0.0084; Dunnett’s multiple comparisons test, CORT vs. Control, P = 0.0070, CORT vs. BBR200, P = 0.0090, n = 16 in each group). Bar graphs show the mean ± SEM; *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001. CORT corticosterone, BBR berbberine, ANOVA analysis of variance