Suanzaorentang, and anxiolytic Chinese medicine, affects the central adrenergic and serotonergic systems in rats
Hsieh, M.T.; Chen, H.C.; Kao, H.C.; Shibuya, T.
Proceedings of the National Science Council Republic of China. Part B Life Sciences 10(4): 263-268
1986
ISSN/ISBN: 0255-6596 PMID: 2882534 Document Number: 279732
Previously, we found that the ancient Chinese remedy of Suanzaorentang was a promising anxiolytic drug (Chen and Hsieh, 1985; Chen and Hsieh, 1985a). We also found that Suanzaorentang decreased the turnover rate of central monoamines and central catecholaminergic activtiy (Hsieh, et al., 1986). In this study, we found that (1) 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) induced decrease in locomotor activity was significantly antagonized by Suanzaorentang, (2) p-chlorophenylalanine (p-CPA) induced increase in locomotor activity was significantly inhibited by Suanzaorentang, (3) Suanzaorentang had no significant effects on baclofen, muscimol, aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA) and thiosemicarbazide induced changes in locomotor activity, (4) Suanzaorentang significantly decreased vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) in striatum and hippocampus, homovanillic acid (HVA) in hippocampus and 5-hydroxyindol acetic acid (5-HIAA) in striatum and hypothalamus, (5) Suanzaorentang significantly reversed the .alpha.-methyltyrosine (.alpha.-MT) produced decrease in DA concentrations I striatum and hippocampus, and (6) Suanzaorentang significantly reversed the p-CPA produced decrease in 5-HT concentrations on amygdala. These facts implied that Suanzaorentang might decrease the serotonergic activity but have no significant effect on GABAergic activity. The main locus of action might be in the limbic system.