ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Effects of Pericarpium aurantiin water extract on sleeping and spontaneous activity in Kunming mice has been investigated in three experiments, that is, the experiments of sleeping time due to supraliminal and subliminal dosage of sodium pentobarbital, and shaking cage for energy transducer, respectively.OBJECTIVE: To observe the influence of Pericarpium aurantiin water extract on sleeping and spontaneous activity of Kunming mice.DESIGN:Randomized controlled trial.SETTING: The Staff Rooms of Pathology, Physiology and Pharmacology in Gannan Medical College.MATERIALS: The experiment was conducted in the Central Laboratory of Science Research, Gannan Medical College from January through February 2005. Ninety adult Kunming mice, grade of clearness, were enrolled and randomly divided into three groups with 30 mice for each experiment:10 in control group, 10 in large-dosage group and 10 in small-dosage group.METHODS: ① In energy transforming trial, spontaneous activity of mice was recorded, small wave with wave amplitude ＜ 5 mm was considered as the waveform of gentle activity in mice, such as fur licking and tickling; middle wave with wave amplitude of 5-10 mm as the waveform of moderate activity, such as walking, standing, climbing up and down;large wave with wave amplitude ＞ 10 mm as the waveform of intensive activity, such as running, jumping up and down. Mice in the small-dosage group, large-dosage group and control group were respectively given intraperitoneal injection of 5 mg/g, 10 mg/g Pericarpium aurantiin water extract and equal volume of normal saline, and placed into the cage after 15 minutes. Then, 3 minutes later, waveforms of mice within 15 s was recorded. ② In the experiments on duration of sleep in mice due to supraliminal or subliminal dosage sodium pentobarbital, 0.02 mL/g or 0.01 mL/g sodium pentobarbital (2.5 g/L) were administrated intraperitoneally into mice in the small-dosage, large-dosage and control group 15 minutes after intraperitoneal injection of 5 mg/g, 10 mg/g Pericarpium aurantiin water extract and equal volume of normal saline were given to the three groups, respectively. Subsequently, comparisons of the number of sleeping mice, time to falling asleep, and sleeping time were carried out among the three groups.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURFS: ① Times of spontaneous activity, ②Sleeping time due to supraliminal dosage of sodium pentobarbital, ③ Duration of sleep due to subliminal dosage of sodium pentobarbital.RESULTS: All the mice were involved in the result analysis without loss.① There were fewer middle and large waves in the small-dosage and largedosage groups as compared with that in the control group (90.5±14.7,58.3±12.5, 45.6±10.1, t=2.341-3.215; P ＜0.05 or P ＜0.01), indicating that Pericarpium aurantiin water extract can evidently inhibit spontaneous activities in mice. ② In comparison with the control group, the time to falling asleep and the duration of sleep due to supraliminal dosage of sodium pentobarbital were shortened and prolonged significantly, respectively,in the small-dosage and large-dosage groups. ③ In comparison with the control group, the time to falling asleep and duration of sleep due to subliminal dosage of sodium pentobarbital were shortened and prolonged significantly, respectively, in the small-dosage and large-dosage groups.CONCLUSION: Pericarpium aurantiin water extract can prolong the duration of sleep and inhibit the spontaneous activities of Kunming mice,which is in cooperation with sodium pentobarbital in central inhibition.