11‐Ethoxyviburtinal improves chronic restraint stress‐induced anxiety‐like behaviors in gender‐specific mice via PI3K/Akt and E2/ERβ signaling pathways

Abstract Anxiety disorder is a chronic and disabling psychiatric disorder that is more prevalent in females than in males. 11‐Ethoxyviburtinal is an iridoid extracted from Valeriana jatamansi Jones , which has anxiolytic potential. The aim of the present work was to study the anxiolytic efficacy and mechanism of 11‐ethoxyviburtinal in gender‐specific mice. We first evaluated the anxiolytic‐like efficacy of 11‐ethoxyviburtinal in chronic restraint stress (CRS) mice of different sexes through behavioral experiments and biochemical indexes. In addition, network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to predict potential targets and important pathways for the treatment of anxiety disorder with 11‐ethoxyviburtinal. Finally, the influence of 11‐ethoxyviburtinal on phosphoinositide‐3‐kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway, estrogen receptor β (ERβ) expression, and anxiety‐like behavior in mice was verified by western blotting, immunohistochemistry staining, antagonist intervention methods, and behavioral experiments. 11‐ethoxyviburtinal alleviated the anxiety‐like behaviors induced by CRS and inhibited neurotransmitter dysregulation and HPA axis hyperactivity. It inhibited the abnormal activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, modulated estrogen production, and promoted ERβ expression in mice. In addition, the female mice may be more sensitive to the pharmacological effects of 11‐ethoxyviburtinal. 11‐ethoxyviburtinal may exert its anxiolytic‐like effects through PI3K/Akt and E2/ERβ signaling pathways. Meanwhile, by comparing the male and female mice, gender differences may affect the therapy and development of anxiety disorder.