[Effect of zuogui wan on the contents of hypothalamic monoaminic transmitters and body weight in rats treated with monosodium glutamate neonatally].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the interrelationship between the traditional Chinese medicine the Kidney-Yin Deficiency Syndrome and the metabolism of hypothalamic monoaminic neurotransmitters after the lesion of arcuate nucleus (ARC).


METHODS
Rats were injected with monosodium glutamate (MSG, at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 days after born. 4 mg/g body weight, s.c.) during the neonatal period, then the contents of hypothalamic monoaminic transmitters were determined with HPLC and the changes of increase of body weight were observed.


RESULTS
Decreases in levels of norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) associated with its metabolite, 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl acetic acid (DOPAC) were observed, while vanillylmandelic acid (VMA), metabolite of NE, serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) were unchanged. Furthermore, adult rats with neonatal MSG treatment also demonstrated growth retardation, obesity but lower body weight, and shorter length of naso-anal. Zuogui Wan, classical drugs of nourishing and recuperating the Kidney-Yin, relieved the disorder of the metabolism of hypothalamic monoaminic transmitter in MSG-rats.


CONCLUSIONS
The metabolic disorders of the central monoaminic transmitters may be related with the Deficiency of the Kidney-Yin.
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012970:Sodium Glutamate; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects*; D016710:Yin Deficiency / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism*