title: Effects of the aqueous extract of the Chinese medicine Danggui-Shaoyao-San on rat pineal melatonin synthesis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to investigate if the aqueous extract of the Chinese medicine Danggui-Shaoyao-San (DSS) can increase the plasma level of melatonin and enhance the function of the pineal gland of naturally aged rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  The rats were treated with DSS at doses of 3ml or same volume of distilled water by oral administration at 11 p.m. for three weeks. The plasma level of melatonin were measured by radioimmunoassay. The function of pineal gland were measured through three parameters: pineal beta adrenergic receptor binding investigated by [3H]DHA binding; pineal expression of NAT mRNA detected by real-time RT-PCR; phosphorylation of CREB (P-CREB) and total level of CREB (T-CREB) measured by western blot analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DSS significantly increased melatonin level at night after oral administration for 3 weeks. By measurement of pineal [3H]DHA binding, it was found DSS improved the beta-adrenergic receptors binding in pineals. The stimulatory effect of DSS on the expression of NAT mRNA in the old rat pineal gland has been demonstrated in this study. Western blot analysis showed that DSS significantly increased phosphorylation of CREB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that a downstream pathway for DSS induction of melatonin synthesis in the rat pineal gland acts via cyclic AMP-dependent cascade and transcription mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Huai-gang
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Shao-wu
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Rong-bo
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Ze-liang
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wan-long
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Hua-qiao
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhi-bin
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Hong-wen
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004082:Dihydroalprenolol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013565:Sympatholytics / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D010936:Plant Extracts; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011943:Receptors, Adrenergic, beta; D013565:Sympatholytics; C531150:danggui-shaoyao-san; D004082:Dihydroalprenolol; D000123:Acetyltransferases; D008550:Melatonin