title: Anti-PTSD-like effects of albiflorin extracted from Radix paeoniae Alba.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe psychiatric disorder that is characterized by symptoms of re-experiencing, avoidance and hyperarousal, as well as social and professional dysfunction at least one month after the exposure to a traumatic event. Biosynthesis of allopregnanolone has been suggested as one of the important contributors to PTSD. Albiflorin (AF) extracted from Radix paeoniae Alba had been shown to be effective in the therapy of depression. However, few studies were concerned about the anti-PTSD-like effects of AF.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The current study aimed to evaluate the anti-PTSD-like effects of AF in an animal model and its possible mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  To evaluate this, the single prolonged stress (SPS) model was used in the present study. The SPS rats were administered by AF (at doses of 3.5, 7 and 14.0mg/kg, i.g.) after induction of SPS from days 2-13. After the exposure to SPS, behavioral assessments were conducted, including contextual fear paradigm (CFP), elevated plus-maze test (EPMT), open-field test (OFT). The rats were decapitated at the end of the behavioral tests and levels of allopregnanolone in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  It had been shown that behavioral deficits of SPS rats were reversed by AF (7.0 and 14.0mg/kg, i.g.), which attenuated the PTSD-like associated contextual freezing behavior in CFP and improved PTSD-like associated anxiogenic behavior in EPMT without affecting locomotor activity in OFT. Moreover, decreased levels of allopregnanolone in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala were reversed by AF (7.0 and 14.0mg/kg, i.g.), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In summary, the present study indicated that AF exerted the anti-PTSD-like effects, which maybe associated with allopregnanolone biosynthesis in the brain.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, PR China; Pharmaceutical Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Clinical Pharmacy Department of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Kun
authors.initials: ZK
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510120, PR China.
authors.forename: Jia-Li
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Department of General Hospital of Chinese People's Armed Police Forces, Beijing 100039, PR China.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Clinical Pharmacy Department of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou 510080, PR China.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: 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.forename: Ji-Sheng
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, PR China. Electronic address: tnieh@jnu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nie
mesh_terms: D000679:Amygdala / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005239:Fear / Q000187:drug effects; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D029596:Paeonia / Q000737:chemistry*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000187:drug effects; D011280:Pregnanolone / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006027:Glycosides
chemical_list: D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds; D011280:Pregnanolone; C014959:albiflorin; D006027:Glycosides
keywords: AF; Albiflorin (PubChemCID: 51346141); Allopregnanolone; Behavioral deficits; PTSD; Sertraline (PubChemCID: 68617)