ABSTRACT
Objective:To optimize proportion of couplet medicine of Bupleuri Radix and Scutellariae Radix in the treatment of anti-depression, and to explore the possible antidepressant mechanism of this couplet medicine. Method:The dosages of Bupleuri Radix and Scutellariae Radix in the 2015 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia were taken.According to U7(72) uniform design table, Bupleuri Radix and Scutellariae Radix were carried out into 7 groups.The chronic unpredictable mild depression model mice were induced by intragastric administration of decoction of this couplet medicine and the antidepressant effect was observed by the behavior tests, which included sucrose preference test, tail suspension test, forced swimming test and open field test(crossing scores).The regression equations were established by selecting the effective indexes.The experiments of retest were taken to check the results and the possible antidepressant mechanism was primarily investigated by measuring the phosphorylation level of cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP)-response element binding protein(CREB) and expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF). Result:Compared with the blank group, sucrose preference rate of the model group was significantly decreased(PPPPPPPPPPPPPPConclusion:Compatibility of Bupleuri Radix and Scutellariae Radix can ameliorate depressive-like behavior of model mice, and the best antidepressant compatibility proportion of Bupleuri Radix and Scutellariae Radix is 1:1, the optimal amounts of them are about 5 g.The antidepressant effect may relate to promoting phosphorylation level of CREB and the expression of BDNF in the hippocampus.
ABSTRACT
Xiaochaihu decoction is a classic prescription of traditional Chinese medicine. Modern research has proved its anti-depression effect. However, its pharmacological mechanism for anti-depression effect is difficult to be unveiled because of the complexity of compound Chinese medicines. Bupleuri Radix and Scutellariae Radix is the core drug pair of Xiaochaihu decoction. In this research, Bupleuri Radix and Scutellariae Radix were analyzed by the integrative pharmacology platform to study its molecular mechanism for anti-depression. One hundred and sixteen active ingredients were predicted, 62 for Bupleuri Radix, mainly including saikosaponins, acids, alcohols, and 54 for Scutellariae Radix, mainly including flavonoids and glycosides. Its anti-depression effect was relevant to 118 core targets, including 22 known disease targets, such as serotonin receptor(HTR2C), activating transcription factor(ATF1, ATF2), δ opioid receptor(OPRD1), μ opioid receptor (OPRM1), κ opioid receptor(OPRK1), inositol monophosphatase(IMPA1), Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), histamine H1 receptor(HRH1), neurotrophic factor tyrosine kinase receptor1 (NTRK1), Glycogen synthetase kinase 3β(GSK3β), etc. The antidepressant effect involved positive regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase Ⅱ promoter, transcription factor binding, cytosol, transcriptional regulation of DNA template, enzyme binding, endocrine system, nervous system, neurotrophin signaling pathway, cell growth and death, signal transduction, thyroid hormone signaling pathway and other related biological processes and metabolic pathways. This study provides a scientific evidence for further study of the anti-depression mechanism of this drug pair.