title: The role of allopregnanolone in the anxiolytic-like effect of free and easy wanderer plus (FEWP), a polyherbal preparation.
abstract: Anxiety disorders are the serious and burdensome psychiatric illnesses, which are closely correlated with allopregnanolone. The down-regulation of allopregnanolone biosynthesis has been implicated as the possible contributor to the aetiology of anxiety disorders. Free and easy wanderer plus (FEWP) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine that had been shown to be effective in various mood disorders. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the anxiolytic-like effect of FEWP and its association with the level of allopregnanolone in the brain. The animal behavioral tests were processed by the acute FEWP (2.5, 5 and 10mg/kg, p.o.) treatment. It had been shown that FEWP produced anxiolytic-like effects in behavioral models, including novelty suppressed feeding (5, 10mg/kg, p.o.), Vogel-type conflict test (10mg/kg, p.o.), elevated plus-maze test (5, 10mg/kg, p.o.). The animals were decapitated after the end of the behavioral tests and measured the allopregnanolone level of the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The allopregnanolone level of the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus was increased by administration of FEWP (5, 10mg/kg, p.o.). Overall, these results indicated that FEWP exerts anxiolytic-like effects that were associated with the stiumlation of the allopregnanolone biosynthesis.
authors: Pharmaceutical Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Clinical Pharmacy Department of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China.
authors: Zhi-Kun
authors: ZK
authors: Qiu
authors: Department of Endocrinology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510120, PR China.
authors: Jia-Li
authors: JL
authors: He
authors: Pharmacy Department of General Hospital of Chinese People's Armed Police Forces, Beijing 100039, PR China.
authors: Xu
authors: X
authors: Liu
authors: Pharmaceutical Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Clinical Pharmacy Department of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China.
authors: Sha
authors: S
authors: Lai
authors: Pharmaceutical Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Clinical Pharmacy Department of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China.
authors: Jian-Chun
authors: JC
authors: Ma
authors: Pharmaceutical Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Clinical Pharmacy Department of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China.
authors: Jia
authors: J
authors: Zeng
authors: Pharmaceutical Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Clinical Pharmacy Department of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Pharmaceutical Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Clinical Pharmacy Department of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China.
authors: Hong-Wei
authors: HW
authors: Wu
authors: Pharmaceutical Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Clinical Pharmacy Department of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China.
authors: Yong
authors: Y
authors: Chen
authors: Pharmaceutical Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Clinical Pharmacy Department of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China.
authors: Yong-Gang
authors: YG
authors: Shen
authors: Pharmaceutical Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Clinical Pharmacy Department of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China. Electronic address: cjslym@163.com.
authors: Ji-Sheng
authors: JS
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Clinical Laboratory, Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515,PR China. Electronic address: bearbear_xn10@163.com.
authors: Min
authors: M
authors: Luo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D011280:Pregnanolone / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D011280:Pregnanolone
keywords: Allopregnanolone; Anxiolytic; Behavioral deficits; FEWP