GABA and 5-HT Systems Are Involved in the Anxiolytic Effect of Gan-Mai-Da-Zao Decoction

Hong-Shu Chen,Yuan-Xiao Yang,Jian-You Guo,Li-Jia Gu

doi:10.3389/fnins.2018.01043

Abstract

The Gan-Mai-Da-Zao (GMDZ) decoction is one of the most famous Chinese medicine prescriptions to treat emotional diseases in China. Here we examined the anxiolytic-like effects of the GMDZ decoction in mice. The mice were orally administered with GMDZ decoction (1, 2, and 4 g/kg, respectively) for 7 days, diazepam (2 mg/kg, p.o.) and buspirone (5 mg/kg, p.o.) were used as positive controls. Then, elevated plus maze (EPM) test, light/dark box (LDB) test, and marble burying (MB) test, open field (OF) test and rota-rod test were performed. We found that GMDZ treatment (2 and 4 g/kg) significantly increased the percentage of open arm entries and time spent on the open arms in EPM as compared to the control. GMDZ treatment also significantly increased the time spent in the light box and the number of light box entries in LDB and reduced the number of marbles buried in MB. Similarly to those observed with diazepam and buspirone. In contrast, GMDZ did not affect the locomotor activity in the OF and motor coordination in the rota-rod test. Furthermore, the anxiolytic-like effects induced by GMDZ were inhibited by the γ-aminobutyric acid-A (GABAA) receptor antagonist flumazenil and 5-hydroxytryptamine-1A (5-HT1A) receptor antagonist WAY-100635. These results showed that GMDZ possesses anxiolytic-like effects in animal models, and its mechanism of action might be modulated by 5-HT1A and GABAA receptors.

Highlights

Anxiety disorders is one of the most common mental disorders that influence people of all ages in the general population and is becoming an increasing public health challenge worldwide (Mackenzie et al, 2011)
We further examined the anxiolyticlike effects of the GMDZ decoction in mice
The number of light box entries and time spent in the light compartment were detected (Narasingam et al, 2017)

Summary

Introduction

Anxiety disorders is one of the most common mental disorders that influence people of all ages in the general population and is becoming an increasing public health challenge worldwide (Mackenzie et al, 2011). The prevalence of anxiety disorders is more than 25% in the United States (Matsuzaki et al, 2012).Current therapies for anxiety disorders mainly consist of benzodiazepines and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (Girish et al, 2013). Both these two types of drugs have well-known side effects (Pollack, 2002). The development of other antianxiety drugs with fewer side effects is necessary, which becomes one of the more pressing issues in the field of mental science (Harada et al, 2018)

Methods

Results

Conclusion