title: A Chinese herbal decoction, reformulated from Kai-Xin-San, relieves the depression-like symptoms in stressed rats and induces neurogenesis in cultured neurons.
abstract: Kai-Xin-San (KXS), a Chinese herbal decoction for anti-depression, is a combination of paired-herbs, i.e. Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma (GR)-Polygalae Radix (PR) and Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma (ATR)-Poria (PO). The make-up of the paired-herbs has been commonly revised according to syndrome differentiation and treatment variation of individual. Currently, an optimized KXS (KXS2012) was prepared by functional screening different combination of GR-PR and ATR-PO. The aim of this study was to verify the effect and underlying mechanism of KXS2012 against depression in chronic mild stress (CMS)-induced depressive rats and in primary cultures of neurons and astrocytes. In rat model, the CMS-induced depressive symptoms were markedly alleviated by the treatment with KXS2012. The CMS-suppressed neurotransmitter amounts were restored in the presence of KXS2012. And the expressions of neurotropic factors and its corresponding receptors were increased under KXS2012 administration. In cultured neurons, application of KXS2012 could promote neurogenesis by inducing the expression of synaptotagmin and dendritic spine density. Moreover, application of KXS2012 in cultured astrocytes, or in H2O2-stressed astrocytes, induced the expressions of neurotrophic factors: the increase might be associated with the modification of Erk1/2 and CREB phosphorylation. Our current results fully support the therapeutic efficacy of KXS2012 against depression in cell and animal models.
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science, Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China.|Shenzhen Research Institute, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Qinghua
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science, Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Marvin S H
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Mak
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science, Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Jianshu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lou
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science, Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Sherry L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science, Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China.|Shenzhen Research Institute, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
authors.forename: Cathy W C
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science, Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China.|Shenzhen Research Institute, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
authors.forename: Huaiyou
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science, Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China.|Shenzhen Research Institute, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
authors.forename: Tina T X
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Division of Life Science, Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China.|Shenzhen Research Institute, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
authors.forename: Karl W K
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Tsim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry*; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D051381:Rats; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C000605449:Kai-Xin-San; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts