Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the antidepressant-like effects of two fractions, including petroleum ether soluble fraction (Fraction A, FA) and water-EtOH soluble fraction (Fraction B, FB) prepared from the Danzhi-xiaoyao-san (DZXYS) by using chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced depressive rat model. The results indicated that DZXYS could ameliorate the depression-like behavior in chronic stress model of rats. The inhibition of hyperactivity of HPA axis and the modulation of monoamine and amino acid neurotransmitters in the hippocampus may be the important mechanisms underlying the action of DZXYS antidepressant-like effect in chronically stressed rats.
Highlights
Depression is the commonest psychiatric disorder with such main clinical features as significant and lasting depression, mental retardation, cognitive impairment, and depression and somatic symptoms
At present, based on the hypothesis of monoamine neurotransmitters function deficiency, antidepression drugs, such as the tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), the selective norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitors, and the monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), have been developed, which are mainly by inhibiting the transporter function of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dopamine (DA), and norepinephrine (NE) to block the reuptake of monoamine neurotransmitters to increase the concentration of those neurotransmitters mentioned above in synaptic cleft to improve the symptoms of depression
We provided different lines of evidence to support the antidepression role of DZXYS in Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress (CUMS) rat model system
Summary
Depression is the commonest psychiatric disorder with such main clinical features as significant and lasting depression, mental retardation, cognitive impairment, and depression and somatic symptoms. Monoamine neurotransmitters disorder and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hyperactivity, widely recognized, are the two important mechanisms of the occurrence of depression. At present, based on the hypothesis of monoamine neurotransmitters function deficiency, antidepression drugs, such as the tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), the selective norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitors, and the monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), have been developed, which are mainly by inhibiting the transporter function of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dopamine (DA), and norepinephrine (NE) to block the reuptake of monoamine neurotransmitters to increase the concentration of those neurotransmitters mentioned above in synaptic cleft to improve the symptoms of depression. It is noted that inhibition of HPA axis activity is a very effective antidepressant treatment, but so far new antidepression drugs taking
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