Scutellarin alleviates depression-like behaviors induced by LPS in mice partially through inhibition of astrocyte-mediated neuroinflammation

•Scutellarin alleviated depression-like behaviors in mice.•Scutellarin suppressed astrocyte-mediated neuroinflammation induced by LPS.•Scutellarin inhibited neuroinflammation through TLR4/NF-κB pathway in astrocytes. Depression is a kind of common mental disorder associated with neuroinflammation, and astrocytes play a vital role in regulating and mediating neuroinflammation in central nervous system. Scutellarin has significant anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. However, whether scutellarin exerts antidepressant effect remains unknown. In present study, it was found that scutellarin suppressed LPS-induced neuroinflammation in the hippocampus and alleviated depression-like behaviors in mice. In addition, scutellarin inhibited LPS-induced elevation of TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6 and iNOS, and reversed the downregulation of IL-4 and BDNF in astrocytes in vitro. Furthermore, the activated TLR4/NF-κB pathway in LPS-treated astrocytes was suppressed by scutellarin. Collectively, these results suggest that scutellarin ameliorates depression-like behaviors induced by neuroinflammation partially through inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB pathway in astrocytes.