Effect of Paeoniae Alba Radix extract on 5-HT3 receptor pathway in primarily cultured rat hippocampal neurons / 中草药

Objective: To investigate the effects of Paeoniae Alba Radix extracts (PAREs) on 5-HT3R mediated ion channels in primarily cultured hippocampal neurons of rats with depression. Methods: An animal model of depression was successfully developed and evaluated in rats. PARE was used for drug intervention. Serum in each group was collected, inactivated and then added into the primary hippocampal neurons for 24 h. The protein expression levels of 5-HT3AR and 5-HT3BR in the neurons of each group were examined by Western blotting (WB). The 5-HT3R channel current was recorded by a whole-cell patch clamp. Results: Compared with normal rats, the rats with depression had significantly reduction in total distance of the open-field test (OFT) and sucrose preference ratio (P < 0.01). The hippocampal neurons treated with serum of depressive rats had significantly increased protein expression of 5-HT3AR and 5-HT3BR (P < 0.05) and current density value (P < 0.05) compared to those treated with normal rat serum. Compared with the depressive rats, the rats treated with PARE and fluoxetine had significantly increased OFT (P < 0.05) and sucrose preference ratio (P < 0.01). The primary hippocampal neurons cultured with serum from PARE and fluoxetine-treated rats had significantly reduction in protein expression of 5-HT3AR and 5-HT3BR (P < 0.05, 0.01, 0.001) and current density value (P < 0.01). Conclusion: PARE can reduce the 5-HT3R ion channel current density in the rats with depression. This may be its central mechanism in treating depression.

Two new sesquiterpene lactones from the pericarp of Illicium macranthum / 药学学报

Silica gel column chromatography was used for the isolation and purification of the chemical constituents of the pericarp of Illicium macranthum. From dichloromethane-EtOAc (1:1) fraction and EtOAc fraction of the methanol extracts, eleven compounds were identified on the basis of chemical and spectral data. Two new compounds were elucidated to be 6-deoxyneomajucin (1) and 2-oxo-6-deoxyneomajucin (2), along with nine known compounds 6-deoxypseudoanisatin (3), pseudoanisatin (4), anisatin (5), pseudomajucin (6), protocatecheuic acid (7), shikimic acid (8), shikimic acid methylester (9), beta-sitosterol (10) and daucosterol (11). Compounds 1 and 2 are new majucin-type sesquiterpene lactones.