[The effect of cold- and heat-natured medicines on 5-HT and NE cells and nerve fibres in rat's brain, pituitary and adrenal].
OBJECTIVE
To study how cold- and heat-natured medicines act on 5-HT and NE cells in the brain, pituitary and adrenal of rats.


METHODS
Based on immunohistochemical method, the specific anti-TH and anti-5-HT sera were used to observe the changes of 5-HT and NE cells in brain and adrenal as well as fibres in pituitary. The contents of these two transmitters in brain were also determined by fluoriphotometry.


RESULTS
Cold-natured medicines made the staining of 5-HT cells deeper and NE cells lighter, while heat-natured medicines act by contraries.


CONCLUSIONS
Cold-natured medicines increase the content of 5-HT in brain and decrease the content of NE, while heat-natured medicines work the other way around. The morphologic changes are consistent with the functional ones.
Li
L
L
Capital University of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100054.
Liu
G
G
Liang
Y
Y
D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism*; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000378:metabolism; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism*
D004338:Drug Combinations; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D012701:Serotonin; D009638:Norepinephrine