Evidence of Antidepressive Effects of a Wakan-yaku, Hochuekkito, in Depression Model Mice with Learned-Helplessness Behavior.
Wakan-yaku is a type of Japanese and Sino traditional, systematized medical care that has been practiced for hundreds of years. This medicinal system includes many antidepressive prescriptions. One of the candidates is Hochuekkito, although experimental evidence has not yet been established clearly. To obtain evidence, a depression model of learned-helplessness (LH) mice was used. Based on the score of escape failure, an index of the depression degree, mice with a depressive condition were selected to assess Hochuekkito's effects. This selection was significant and effective in the following two points: evaluation of the drug effect under disease conditions and minimization of the number of animals. Treatment with Hochuekkito (1 and 5 g/kg p.o.; estimated galenical amount) for 14 days significantly decreased the depression index, the number of escape failures, and desipramine (10 mg/kg p.o.) suggesting that Hochuekkito has an antidepressive effect.
Division of Medicinal Pharmacology, Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan ; Wakan-yaku Theory-Based Integrated Pharmacology, Graduate School of Innovative Life Science, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
Michihisa
M
Tohda
Division of Medicinal Pharmacology, Institute of Natural Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
Salin
S
Mingmalairak