Effects of Shugan Hewei Granule on Depressive Behavior and Protein Expression Related to Visceral Sensitivity in a Rat Model of Nonerosive Reflux Disease.

Yi Wang,Shengliang Zhu,Xiaosu Wang,Guanwu Li

doi:10.1155/2019/1505693

Abstract

Objective To explore the effect of Shugan Hewei Granule (SGHWG) and to provide the experimental basis for its clinical application. Methods 40 healthy male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups, with 8 rats in each group, including control group, model group, normal saline (NS) group, SGHWG group, and Rabeprazole group. The control group was not treated. The model group was treated with fructose intake and mental stress to be the model of NERD. The other groups were treated as the model group and then gavaged with the corresponding drugs. The pH value of lower third of esophagus, immobile time in tail suspension test, CRF protein expression in both hypothalamus and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and SP protein in esophageal mucosa in lower third of esophagus detected by immunofluorescence and NMDAR1 protein expression in spinal cord detected by immunohistochemistry of each group were compared. Results The pH values of both the SGHWG group and the Rabeprazole group were higher than that of the model group (P<0.01), but the Rabeprazole group increased more obviously. The immobile time of the SGHWG group was shorter than that of the model group (P<0.01) and the Rabeprazole group (P<0.05). The expression of the CRF in the hypothalamus and ACC, NMDAR1 in the spinal cord, and SP in the esophageal mucosa in lower third of esophagus of the SGHWG group decreased significantly, compared with the model group (P<0.01), and was obviously lower than that in the Rabeprazole group (P<0.05). Conclusions This study provided an evidence that SGHW formula was inferior to Rabeprazole in acid inhibition, but it might reduce the expression of CRF protein of hypothalamus and ACC, lower the levels of NMDAR1 in spinal dorsal horn and SP in esophageal mucosa in lower third of esophagus, and regulate depressive behavior simultaneously, related to the improvement of visceral hypersensitivity in rat model of NERD.

Highlights

As a subtype of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), nonerosive reflux disease (NERD) is a disease, with which patients suffer reflux-related symptoms caused by gastric contents inflowing into esophagus, but lack the endoscopic mucosal damage of esophagus [1], and it accounts for 50% to 70% [2] of GERD
Studies have shown that negative mental state can cause visceral hypersensitivity through the brain-gut axis, and the patients' esophageal hypersensitivity is related to the sensitization of nerve endings, spinal cord, and cerebral center [5,6,7]
The blood glucose levels of rats between the model group and the control group were statistically different at the end of the second and fourth week, and the former was higher (P

Summary

Introduction

As a subtype of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), nonerosive reflux disease (NERD) is a disease, with which patients suffer reflux-related symptoms caused by gastric contents inflowing into esophagus, but lack the endoscopic mucosal damage of esophagus [1], and it accounts for 50% to 70% [2] of GERD. With deep insight into NERD, mental state, visceral sensitivity, and the relationship between them have been paid more and more attention in the occurrence of NERD. Studies have shown that negative mental state can cause visceral hypersensitivity through the brain-gut axis, and the patients' esophageal hypersensitivity is related to the sensitization of nerve endings, spinal cord, and cerebral center [5,6,7]. Corticotrophin releasing factor (CRF), N-methylD-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R), and substance P (SP) may participate in esophageal sensitization in the brain, spinal cord dorsal horn, and esophagus in turn

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Conclusion