Effects of the traditional Japanese medicine Unkei-to on the corticotropin-releasing factor-induced increase in locomotor activity.
The effect of Unkei-to, a traditional Japanese herbal medicine and strong in vitro releaser of cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC), on the increase in locomotor activity induced by intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in male rats in a familiar environment was investigated. Oral administration of Unkei-to (100 mg/kg) for 1 week significantly attenuated the CRF-induced increase in locomotor activity. Unkei-to also reduced the CRF-induced accumulation of hypothalamic CINC, which has a functional antagonistic action on the response to CRF; the reduction may reflect an increased release of CINC. These results suggest that Unkei-to has an alleviative effect on the action induced by brain CRF and the mechanism of this effect may partly involve CINC.
Terawaki
Kiyoshi
K
Tsumura Research Institute Medicinal Evaluation Laboratory, Tsumura and Co., Inashiki-gun, Ibaraki, Japan. terawaki_kiyoshi@mail.tsumura.co.jp
Koike
Koji
K
Yuzurihara
Mitsutoshi
M
Kase
Yoshio
Y
Takeda
Shuichi
S
Aburada
Masaki
M
Murakami
Kouichi
K
Ohno
Satoshi
S
Suzuki
Nobutaka
N
Inoue
Masaki
M
D000818:Animals; D019743:Chemokines, CXC / Q000378:metabolism; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D019743:Chemokines, CXC; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C058415:unkei-to; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone