title: Beneficial effect of Danggui-Shaoyao-San, a traditional Chinese medicine, on drowsiness induced by chronic restraint stress.
abstract: Danggui-Shaoyao-San (DSS), a famous Chinese complex prescription, has a long history of treating dysmenorrhea in China. Recent studies showed that DSS had its therapeutic efficacy on depression. In the present study, the effects of aqueous extract of DSS were examined to investigate the pharmacological basis for its therapeutic efficacy on chronic restraint stress (CRS)-induced sleep disorder. Mice were treated with DSS by gavage administration at doses of 0.625g/kg, 1.25g/kg and 2.5g/kg for 10 days. Sleep time and sleep latency were measured 24h after the CRS procedures using the sodium pentobarbital-induced sleep test. Open field test was used to evaluate the mice locomotion and anxiety/depression levels. Body weight and food intake were determined as well. The results showed that DSS dose-dependently prolonged latency and decreased sleep time of CRS mice, reversed CRS-induced decrease of mean velocity, the percentage of center distance and time in central area, as well as decreased body weight and food intake. In conclusion, our results suggest that DSS has exerted measurable therapeutic effects in hypersomnia induced by chronic restraint stress.
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for TCM Evaluation and Translational Research, Department of Complex Prescription of TCM, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China.
authors.forename: Kecheng
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for TCM Evaluation and Translational Research, Department of Complex Prescription of TCM, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China.
authors.forename: Nati
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for TCM Evaluation and Translational Research, Department of Complex Prescription of TCM, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for TCM Evaluation and Translational Research, Department of Complex Prescription of TCM, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for TCM Evaluation and Translational Research, Department of Complex Prescription of TCM, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China. Electronic address: junpingkou@cpu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Junping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000187:drug effects*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C531150:danggui-shaoyao-san
keywords: Chronic restraint stress; Danggui-Shaoyao-San; Depression; Drowsiness; Open field test