title: Antidepressant evaluation of polysaccharides from a Chinese herbal medicine Banxia-houpu decoction.
abstract: Banxia-houpu decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine has been used in the treatment of depression. The present study confirmed that oral administration of polysaccharides from Banxia-houpu decoction, exhibited a reduction in the immobility time in the tail suspension and in the forced swimming tests in mice in a time-dependent manner. This effect at a dose of 320 mg/kg was more potent than that at a dose of 640 mg/kg. The polysaccharides from Banxia-houpu decoction were active in animal models of depression with comparable effects to known antidepressants. The oral administration of the polysaccharides at a low dose for 4 weeks resulted in a significant increase in the monoamine neurotransmitter 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) levels in whole mouse brain, but produced no significant increase in 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and norepinephrine (NE) concentrations. The effect of polysaccharides on the brain neurotransmitter levels appeared to be quite different from the effect of fluoxetine, a serotonin specific reuptake inhibitor. The results indicate that the mode of action of polysaccharides from Banxia-houpu decoction in depression might be related to both 5-HT and DA systems.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Functional Biomolecule, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yusong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Lingdong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Yemin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhiqi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D040921:Stress Disorders, Traumatic / Q000517:prevention & control; D013550:Swimming
chemical_list: D000928:Antidepressive Agents; C120141:Banxia Houpo Tang; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D010936:Plant Extracts; D011134:Polysaccharides; D012701:Serotonin; D004298:Dopamine