title: [Effects of Chinese herbal medicine Xiaoyao Powder on monoamine neurotransmitters in hippocampus of rats with postpartum depression].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of Xiaoyao Powder, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine for treatment of depression, on monoamine neurotransmitters in hippocampus of rats with postpartum depression (PPD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control group, untreated group, fluoxetine hydrochloride group and Xiaoyao Powder group. Except for the control group, the rats in the other 3 groups were injected subcutaneously with estrogen for 23 successive days to induce the "pregnancy" state. In the next 30 successive days, rats were given test drugs respectively and the concentrations of noradrenaline (NE), dopamine (DA), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in hippocampus were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  PPD was induced in rats of untreated group, and compared with rats of control group, the concentrations of NE, DA and 5-HT in the hippocampus significantly reduced (P<0.01), while the concentration of 5-HIAA significantly increased (P<0.01). Xiaoyao Powder treatment significantly improved the behavior indexes and levels of monoamine neurotransmitters in hippocampus (P<0.01). Xiaoyao Powder and fluoxetine hydrochloride produced similar effects in rats with PPD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Xiaoyao Powder produces an antidepression effect in rats by regulating the levels of monoamine neurotransmitters in hippocampus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology, Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Wenjiang District, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Qin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines / Q000378:metabolism*; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000378:metabolism*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D015306:Biogenic Monoamines; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; C516449:xiaoyao