Research progress in effects and mechanisms of active components of Chinese herbal medicine on neural plasticity / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

ABSTRACT

Emotional and cognitive disorders (EACD),such as depression and anxiety,have become very common in today′s society,seriously affecting human lives and health. Neural plasticity can reflect the anti-stress ability of the nervous system to the internal and external stimulation,and is capable of dynamic changes in structure or function to adapt to environmental changes,as is often manifested in the process of compensation and repair of nerve injuries. EACD is often accompanied by macroscopic and cellular morphological changes in brain tissues and functions. Thus,studies on the mechanisms of neural plasticity will contribute to the treatment of EACD. In this paper ,the role of neural plasticity in the active components of Chinese herbal medicine(ACCHM) is reviewed. The effects of ACCHM on 5-hydroxytryptamine(5-HT)system,and the antioxidant activities and neurotrophic effects of ACCHM are described. ACCHM can affect neural plasticity,playing a neuroprotective role by improving 5-HT levels,reducing oxidative stress in brain cells,and increasing the expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF). In summary,one ACCHM could affect neural plasticity through one or more mechanisms. There are interactions between different mechanisms of the same ACCHM. Different ACCHM can play a synergistic effect on the enhancement of neural plasticity because of their different mechanisms.