慢性压力可能导致抑郁症和血管内皮功能紊乱。我们旨在评估蜂胶对大鼠慢性不可预测轻度压力（CUMS）诱导的抑郁模型中的血管功能及其可能机制的影响。雄性Wistar大鼠被分为对照组、压力组（接受CUMS诱导）、对照+蜂胶组和压力+蜂胶组（每组n = 8）。CUMS模型通过每天暴露大鼠于各种轻度压力刺激物五周而诱导。用蜂胶提取物（每天100毫克/千克）口服给予蜂胶治疗组五周。用强迫游泳试验（FST）评估抑郁样行为。慢性压力导致FST中固定时间的不动行为反应增加，并导致血清皮质酮水平升高。评估胸段内皮功能和内皮一氧化氮合酶（eNOS）、肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNFα）、白细胞介素-1β（IL-1β）、血红素加氧酶-1（HO-1）和超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）水平的表达。与对照组相比，压力组表现出明显的内皮依赖性舒张能力下降，eNOS、SOD和HO-1的表达下降，而TNFα和IL-1β的胸段表达显著增加。蜂胶改善了抑郁样行为、血管内皮功能紊乱和蛋白质表达的改变。蜂胶在CUMS诱导的大鼠抑郁中表现出类抗抑郁和血管保护作用。慢性蜂胶治疗可能通过其抗炎和抗氧化作用对CUMS诱导的血管内皮功能紊乱具有保护作用。 © 作者（2023）发表，由牛津大学出版社代表皇家药学学会发表。

Chronic stress may lead to depression and vascular endothelial dysfunction. We aimed to evaluate the effects of propolis on vascular functions and the possible mechanisms of its vascular effects in the rat model of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depression.Male Wistar rats were divided into control, stress (exposure to CUMS), control+propolis and stress+propolis groups (n = 8/each group). CUMS model was induced by exposing rats to various mild stressors daily for 5 weeks. The extract of propolis (100 mg/kg/day) was administered orally to propolis-treated groups for 5 weeks. The depression-like behaviours were assessed with the forced swimming test (FST). Chronic stress resulted in increased immobility response in FST and elevated serum corticosterone levels. Thoracic endothelial functions and expressions of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) level were assessed.Compared to control group, stress group exhibited a significant decrease in endothelium-dependent relaxations, and eNOS, SOD and HO-1 expressions, whereas a significant increase in the thoracic expressions of TNFα and IL-1β. Propolis ameliorated depression-like behaviours, vascular endothelial dysfunctions and alterations of protein expressions.Propolis exerted antidepressant-like and vasculoprotective effects in CUMS-induced depression in rats. Chronic propolis treatment may have a protective effect on CUMS-induced vascular endothelial dysfunction by its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.