OBJECTIVETo observe the effects of jieyuwan on neuroendocrine-immune of chronic unpredictable stress rats, for identifing its mechanism of action.

METHODAnimals were randomly assigned to six groups: one non-stressed (control) group, one stressed group (CUS + vehicle) , three treatment groups (CUS + Jieyuwan 53, 106, 212 mg x kg(-1), respectively), and one group for imipramine (CUS + imipramine 10 mg x kg(-1)). We used the chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) test in rats to investigated the effects of chronic oral administration (21 days) of Jieyuwan and imipramine (ip) on the sucrose consumption, the relative weight of adrenal and thymus, the concentration of serum corticosterone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta measured by ELISA.

RESULTOur results showed that Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to CUS exhibited increased adrenal weight, reduction in thymus weight, less sucrose consumption, and synchronized with higher serum corticosterone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta concentration. Chronic treatment with Jieyuwan (53, 106, 212 mg x kg(-1), po, 21 days) could improve locomotion of stressed rat sucrose consumption, turn over the high levels of serum corticosterone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta concentration.

CONCLUSIONThe therapeutic actions of jieyuwan, in some degree, may be related with indirect or direct effects on HPA axis and immune system.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; blood ; Animals ; Antidepressive Agents ; pharmacology ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Corticosterone ; blood ; Drug Combinations ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Interleukin-1beta ; blood ; Male ; Pituitary-Adrenal System ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stress, Psychological ; immunology ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Thymus Gland ; pathology ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; blood

OBJECTIVEJianyate Hao (JYTH) , a traditional Chinese medicine formula, which has been used effectively to treat depression in the past ten years. The purpose of this study was to explore the antidepressant effect of acute administration with JYTH and its possible mechanism.

METHODthe animals behavioral despair models of depression, the tail suspension and forced swimming tests, were used to explore the antidepressant effects of JYTH. In addition, the locomotor activity test was used to detect the change of locomotor activity. The monoamine oxidase activity in the mouse brain was also determined by using fluorospectrophotometry.

RESULTJYTH (17.5, 35, 70 g x kg(-1), ig) could decrease the duration of immobility in both tail suspension and forced swimming tests, and the effect of JYTH (35 g x kg(-1) ig) was resembling imipramine (10 mg x kg(-1), ip) in relieving depression. And the effective doses (17.5, 35, 70 g x kg(-1), ig) did not alter locomotion activity. Moreover, JYTH (35 g x kg(-1), ig) was found to inhibit monoamine oxidase activity in the mouse brain.

CONCLUSIONThese findings suggest that JYTH exerts antidepressant effect in animals behavioral despair tests and the underlying mechamism may involve the inhibition monoamine oxidase activity in the mouse brain.

Animals ; Antidepressive Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Behavior, Animal ; drug effects ; Brain ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Depression ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Monoamine Oxidase ; metabolism