Traditional herbal formula Sini Powder extract produces antidepressant-like effects through stress-related mechanisms in rats.
10.1016/S1875-5364(16)30069-3
- Author:
Shan-Shan WEI
1
;
He-Jin YANG
2
;
Jia-Wen HUANG
2
;
Xue-Ping LU
2
;
Ling-Fang PENG
2
;
Qing-Guo WANG
3
Author Information
1. School of Basic Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China.
2. Department of Drug Screening, Yunnan Institute of Materia Medica, Kunming 650111, China.
3. School of Basic Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, China. Electronic address: wangqg8558@sina.com.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Antidepressant-like;
Glucocorticoid receptor;
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis;
Sini Powder extract
- MeSH:
Adrenocorticotropic Hormone;
blood;
Animals;
Antidepressive Agents;
administration & dosage;
Corticosterone;
blood;
Depression;
drug therapy;
genetics;
metabolism;
physiopathology;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal;
administration & dosage;
Hippocampus;
drug effects;
Humans;
Male;
Pituitary-Adrenal System;
drug effects;
metabolism;
Rats;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley;
Receptors, Glucocorticoid;
genetics;
metabolism
- From:
Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines (English Ed.)
2016;14(8):590-598
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Sini Powder (SP), a traditional Chinese herbal formula, has long been used to treat depression in patients, although the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. In the present study, we found that rats treated with SP extract for 7 days showed a significant increase in swimming time and reduction in immobility time in forced swimming test in a dose-dependent manner, without changes in locomotion. These effects could be attributed to SP's modulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, because a single pretreatment of SP extract could rescue increased serum corticosterone and plasma adrenocorticotropin levels induced by acute elevated platform stress. A single pretreatment of SP extract could also elevate the mRNA expression of hippocampal glucocorticoid receptors. In conclusion, our results suggest that SP extract may act as an anti-stress medication to produce antidepressant-like effects.
