Anxiety disorders are a common mental illness that seriously endangered physical and mental health of human beings. The etiology of anxiety disorders is closely related to the abnormality of monoamines neurotransmitters, amino acids neurotransmitters and neuropeptides. The long-term use of anti-anxiety chemical drugs has some adverse effects, such as constipation, muscle relaxation, lethargy, tolerance and withdrawal symptoms. However, traditional Chinese medicines have advantages of multi-component, multi-target coordination, with less adverse reactions. Therefore, it is a promising prospect to develop novel anti-anxiety drugs from traditional Chinese medicines and formulas. This article reviewed some traditional Chinese medicines and formulas that can relieve anxiety symptoms. These include traditional Chinese medicines(Panax ginseng, Lycium ruthenium, Morus alba, Bupleurum plus dragon bone oyster soup, Chailong Jieyu Pills, and Naogongtai Formulas) with the effect on monoamine neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine; traditional Chinese medicines(Rehmannia glutinosa, Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa, Jielv Anshen Decoction, Baixiangdan Capsules, Antianxietic Compound Prescription Capsules) with the effect on amino acid neurotransmitters, such as glutamic acid, γ-aminobutyrc acid; and traditional Chinese medicines(P. ginseng, Xiaoyao San, Shuyu Ningxin Decoction)with the effect on neuropeptide Y pathway, with the aim to provide theoretical basis for the further development of some novel and more effective anti-anxiety therapeutics from traditional Chinese medicine and formulas.
Anti-Anxiety Agents/pharmacology* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Neurotransmitter Agents ; Norepinephrine ; Serotonin

Linalool, as a major volatile compound, is widely distributed in natural plant essential oil. In addition, it can also be artificially synthesized. Linalool is used frequently as an important ingredient of perfumes and household detergents. It is still employed in food flavor and industries. Besides, linalool has some positive effect on healthcare. Many studies have showed that linalool exhibited a variety of pharmacological activities, including analgesic, anxiolytic, sedative, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor and anti-bacterial effects. Therefore, linalool will be a promising agent for clinical application. This article reviews the pharmacological effects and formulation studies of linalool so as to provide a theoretical basis for its further development and utilization.
Animals ; Anti-Anxiety Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Hypnotics and Sedatives ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Monoterpenes ; chemistry ; pharmacology

AIM: Stress is recognized to precipitate anxiety and related psychological problems characterized by a wide range of biochemical and behavioral changes. The present study was carried out to investigate the protective effects of melatonin and buspirone, and their combination, against six hours immobilization stress-induced, anxiety-like behavioral and oxidative damage in mice. METHOD: Male Laca mice were pre-treated with melatonin (2.5, 5 mg·kg(-1)), buspirone (5, 10 mg·kg(-1)), and their combination for consecutive five days. On the 6(th) day, animals were immobilized for six hours, and thereafter various behavioral tests were performed followed by biochemical tests. RESULTS: Immobilization stress significantly impaired body weight, locomotor activity, and caused anxiety-like behavior, along with increased oxidative damage. Pretreatment with melatonin and buspirone significantly improved the loss in body weight and locomotor activity, attenuated anxiety-like behavior (in both the mirror chamber and plus maze performance tasks), further restored the levels of brain total proteins, and caused antioxidant-like effects, as evidenced by reduced lipid peroxidation, nitrite concentration, and restoration of reduced glutathione and catalase activity, as compared to control animals. In addition, combination of melatonin (2.5, 5 mg·kg(-1)) with buspirone (5 mg·kg(-1)) significantly potentiated their protective effects, as compared to their effects individually. CONCLUSION The present study suggests that melatonin potentiates the beneficial effect of buspirone against immobilization stress-induced, anxiety-like behavioral and oxidative damage in mice possibly by involving a serotonergic mechanism.
Animals ; Anti-Anxiety Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Antioxidants ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Anxiety ; drug therapy ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Buspirone ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Immobilization ; psychology ; Male ; Melatonin ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Stress, Psychological ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo study the possible mechanism of aqueous extract of detoxified cottonseeds (CTN-W).

METHOD AND RESULTCTN-W 0.01, 0.03, 0.10, 0.30 mg.mL-1 was incubated directly with the synaptic membrane extracted from the cerebral cortex in rats, and adenylyl cyclase (AC) activity was detected by using radio-immunoassay.

RESULTShowed that CTN-W could activate AC in a dose-dependend manner. After incubation with PC12 cells in the presence of corticosterone 2 x 10(-4)mol.L-1 for 48 h, CTN-W 0.08, 0.4, 2 mg.mL-1 protected PC12 cells from the lesion induced by corticosterone.

CONCLUSIONAntidepressant and anxiolytic effects of CTN-W are related with the activation of AC-cAMP pathway in signal transduction system, thus protecting neurons from the lesion. These two aspects maybe partly form the mechanism of CTN-W's action.

Adenylyl Cyclases ; metabolism ; Animals ; Anti-Anxiety Agents ; pharmacology ; Antidepressive Agents ; pharmacology ; Corticosterone ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Gossypium ; chemistry ; Neuroprotective Agents ; pharmacology ; PC12 Cells ; drug effects ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Seeds ; chemistry ; Synaptic Membranes ; enzymology

OBJECTIVETo assess the anxiolytic effect of Anshenfang granules (ASF), a compound traditional Chinese medicinal preparation, on anxiety in rats and the mechanism of its actions.

METHODSMale Wistar rats with anxiety induced by chronic emotional stress were randomized to receive treatments with diazepam or ASF at high, medium or low doses. The behavioral changes of the rats were evaluated using plus-maze test, after which the rats in normal control group, model group, and medium AFS dose group were sacrificed to measure the hippocampal contents of glutamic acid and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); immunohistochemistry was employed to evaluate the expressions of GABAA receptor and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 (NMDAR1).

RESULTSPlus-maze test showed obvious anxiety behaviors in the model group, which were significantly meliorated by diazepam and ASF, especially at the medium dose. Hippocampal glutamate levels increased and GABA decreased significantly in the model group, and such changes were obviously attenuated, by comparable amplitudes, by treatments with diazepam and medium-dose ASF. The model group showed significantly diminished GABAA receptor-positive cells and increased NMDAR1-positive cells, which were improved by diazepam and ASF at the medium dose.

CONCLUSIONASF produces strong anxiolytic effect in rats by increasing the content of GABA in the brain, enhancing GABAA receptor expression, reducing glutamic acid content, and decreasing NMDAR1 expression.

Animals ; Anti-Anxiety Agents ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Glutamic Acid ; metabolism ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptors, GABA ; metabolism ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate ; metabolism ; gamma-Aminobutyric Acid ; metabolism