Medication Ideas for Depression from Wenyang Jieyu Prescription
10.13422/j.cnki.syfjx.20231939
- VernacularTitle:从温阳解郁方研究谈抑郁症治疗用药思路
- Author:
Mingmin PAN
1
;
Guangxin YUE
1
Author Information
1. Institute of Basic Theroy for Chinese Medicine，China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences， Beijing 100700，China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Wenyang Jieyu prescription;
depression;
maternal separation;
correspondence between prescription and syndrome;
medication rule
- From:
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae
2024;30(6):58-65
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Depression is a complex emotional and mental disorder. The traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） methods for treating depression mainly include soothing the liver and relieving depression. Our research team proposes that depression is caused by Yang Qi deficiency and obstructed Qi movement， which are closely related to neurological and psychological changes induced by early traumatic experiences. Therefore， we suggest that the treatment should focus on warming Yang， replenishing Qi， and promoting Qi movement and have formulated Wenyang Jieyu prescription based on Erxiantang for warming yang and Xiaoyaosan for relieving depression. The experiment with the mouse model of early trauma induced by maternal separation showed that Wenyang Jieyu prescription significantly improved the mouse activity and environmental exploration， reduced the immobility time in forced swimming and tail suspension tests， alleviated the behaviors such as aversion to darkness and fear of open space， enhanced social interaction and social cognitive abilities， altered decision-making biases， reduced depression-like behaviors， and improved the decision-making patterns. Additionally， the prescription lowered the serum level of cortisol， inhibited the cortisol surge in the dexamethasone/corticotropin-releasing hormone （Dex/CRH） test， up-regulated the expression of mineralocorticoid receptor （MR） and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 （11β-HSD2） in the hippocampus， down-regulated the expression of glucocorticoid receptor （GR） and corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 （CRHR1）， inhibited the methylation of GR exon 1 and the expression of DNA methyltransferase 1 （DNMT1）， and restored the negative feedback of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal （HPA） axis. Furthermore， Wenyang Jieyu prescription up-regulated the protein level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF）， elevated the levels of postsynaptic density protein 95 （PSD95） and synaptophysin （Syn）， decreased the cell apoptosis index and B-cell lymphoma （Bcl-2）-associated X （Bax）/Bcl-2 ratio， suppressed the expression of Caspase-3， and enhanced the neuroplasticity and anti-apoptotic capacity in the hippocampus. Considering the research results， related articles， and clinical experience， we conclude that depression should be treated with liver-soothing and depression-relieving herbs， which can be supplemented with spleen-invigorating and Qi-regulating herbs to alleviate depressive symptoms. The Yang-warming and kidney-tonifying herbs can be used to eliminate the root cause and prevent relapse. Additionally， the wind-dispersing herbs can be supplemented to regulate the Qi movement throughout the body， thereby enhancing the efficacy of depression-relieving treatment.
