title: Uwhangchungsimwon, a traditional herbal medicine, protects brain against oxidative injury via modulation of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) response in a chronic restraint mice model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Uwhangchungsimwon (UCW) is a representative traditional herbal medicine for central nervous system disorders in East Asia countries over thousand years. To evaluate the pharmacological effects of UCW against oxidative brain injury in a chronic restraint stress mice model.
  
  
  METHODS
  C57BL/6 male mice underwent daily oral administration of distilled water, UCW or ascorbic acid 1h before induction of restraint stress (5h of immobilization daily for 14 days). Nitric oxide (NO), total reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, malondialdehyde, protein carbonyl contents, and activities of antioxidant enzymes, and concentrations of corticosterone, adrenaline, noradrenaline, and dopamine, were measured in brain tissues or sera.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Restraint stress notably increased NO and ROS levels, malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl contents in brain tissues, but decreased activities of catalase, glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase. These alterations were significantly ameliorated by UCW. UCW significantly attenuated the elevated serum concentrations of corticosterone, adrenaline and noradrenaline. UCW also significantly normalized the gene expressions in brain tissues altered by restraint stress; up-regulation of phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) and N-methyl-d-aspartate type 1 receptor (NMDAR1), and down-regulation of gamma-Aminobutyric acid type A receptor (GABAAR), glutamate decarboxylase 1 (GAD 67), and glutamate decarboxylase 2 (GAD 65), respectively. Moreover, UCW considerably restored neurogenesis in the hippocampal regions which was disturbed by chronic restraint stress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results evidenced that UCW has pharmacological properties for brain protection and neurogenesis in status of stress-associated oxidative damage, and the underlying mechanisms involve the regulation of HPA axis in stress responses.
authors.affiliation: Korean Medical College of Daejeon University, 22-5 Yongwoon-dong, Dong-gu, Daejeon 301-724, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Won-Yung
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Korean Medical College of Daejeon University, 22-5 Yongwoon-dong, Dong-gu, Daejeon 301-724, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Soon-Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Liver and Immunology Research Center, Korean Medical College of Daejeon University, 22-5 Daehung-dong, Jung-gu, Daejeon 301-724, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jin-Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: KM-Based Herbal Drug Research Group, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, 461-24, Jeonmin-dong, Yuseong-gu, Deajeon 350-811, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yun-Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Liver and Immunology Research Center, Korean Medical College of Daejeon University, 22-5 Daehung-dong, Jung-gu, Daejeon 301-724, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyeong-Geug
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Liver and Immunology Research Center, Korean Medical College of Daejeon University, 22-5 Daehung-dong, Jung-gu, Daejeon 301-724, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jong-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 301-040, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Woon
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 301-040, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Min-Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.affiliation: Liver and Immunology Research Center, Korean Medical College of Daejeon University, 22-5 Daehung-dong, Jung-gu, Daejeon 301-724, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Min-Kyung
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Liver and Immunology Research Center, Korean Medical College of Daejeon University, 22-5 Daehung-dong, Jung-gu, Daejeon 301-724, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: ckson@dju.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Chang-Gue
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Son
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000187:drug effects*; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C460103:uwhangchungsimwon
keywords: Brain; Corticosterone; Oxidative stress; Restraint stress; Uwhangchungsimwon