Preliminary Studies On Anti-depression Effect And Its Mechanism Of Shuyu Tablet

Clinical research suggested that Shuyu tablet could eliminate and relieve typical symptoms in mild and moderate depression patients with Liver Qi stagnation, showing an good effect on insomnia and gastrointestinal tract barrier and dysfunction induced by depressive disorder. Long-term use of Shuyu tablet showed no adverse effect. But the forthcoming studies about Shuyu tablet just were performed clinically. And there was no empirical study about it. The present study was to evaluate the anti-depression effect of Shuyu tablet on behavioral despair mice, anxiety mice and chronic stress depressed rats, and to explore the mechanism of Shuyu tablet from hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function and lipid peroxidation side., for purpose to provide basic information for the further study and exploitation of Shuyu tablet.Mice were treated with distilled water (as blank control),0.04 g/kg clomipramine (as masculine control),3.2 g/kg (gram crude drugs per kilogram weight),1.6 g/kg and 0.8g/kg Shuyu tablet. The forced swimming test (FST) and the tail suspension test (TST) were used to assess behavior in despair mice after being treated for 15 days and 30 days. The application of 0.04 g/kg clomipramine,3.2 g/kg and 1.6 g/kg Shuyu tablet significantly decreased immobility period (p<0.01) in 5 min in forced swimming mice at 15th and 30th day during administration while 0.8 g/kg Shuyu tablet showed no significant effect (p>0.05). The dose of 1.6g/kg Shuyu tablet decreased the immobility period in 5 min in tail suspension mice with 30-day-administration as well as 0.04 g/kg clomipramine (p<0.01). All above were compared with blank control.Mice were treated with distilled water (blank control),5 mg/kg estazolam (estazolam control),3.2 g/kg,1.6 g/kg and 0.8g/kg Shuyu tablet. Elevated plus maze (EPM) test and the staircase test were applied to assess behavior in anxiety mice after being treated for 15 days and 30 days. Compared with blank control,3.2 g/kg Shuyu tablet raised OE%(p<0.05) and OT%(p<0.01)at 15th day as well as 5 mg/kg estazolam. At the 30th day of the administration,3.2 g/kg,1.6 g/kg and 0.8g/kg Shuyu tablet all raised OE% in anxiety mice (p<0.01). But only 3.2 g/kg Shuyu tablet raised OT% in mice (p<0.01). Estazolam raised both OE% and OT% in mice (p<0.01).3.2g/kg of Shuyu tablet significantly reduced rearings at 15th day (p<0.01) as well as 1.6g/kg did at 30th day in anxiety mice (p<0.01) while all dose of Shuyu tablet showed no effect on stairs climbed in mice. Meanwhile, the autonomic activities in mice was determined. But, Shuyu tablet showed no significant effect on that.Adult male rats were exposed to seven unpredictable mild stressors for 21 days to induce depression, as indicated by significant decrease in activity in the open-field test. Depressed rats were treated with distilled water (model control),2.33mg/kg fluoxertine (fluoxertine control),2.24 g/kg,1.12 g/kg and 0.56 g/kg Shuyu tablet,14 normal rats treated distilled water and fed normally as blank control. Body weight was observed before and after being treated for 7,14,21 and 30 days. Chronic stress depressed rats treated with 2.33 mg/kg fluoxertine,2.24 g/kg and 1.12 g/kg of Shuyu tablet for 30 days gained body weight significantly (p<0.05). Open-field test was applied to evaluate the horizontal movement and vertical movement in rats before and after being treated for 15 and 30 days. The dose of 2.24 g/kg and 1.12 g/kg Shuyu tablet increased both horizontal movements and vertical movements (p<0.05) in depressed rats which being treated for 15 days while the 1.12 g/kg Shuyu tablet increased horizontal movements only (p<0.05). All dose of Shuyu tablet increased horizontal movements (p<0.01, p<0.05). Also,2.24 g/kg and 1.12 g/kg Shuyu tablet increased vertical movements in chronic stress depressed rats which being treated for 30days (p<0.05). All alteration in treated rats were compared with model control. Sucrose preference test was carried out after being treated for 17 and 24 days.2.24 g/kg and 1.12 g/kg of Shuyu tablet raised the sucrose preference in depressed rats being treated for 17 days while 2.24 g/kg and 1.12 g/kg did in depressed rats being treated for 24 days (p<0.01). Xanthinoxidase reaction and spectrophotometry were used to determine serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in rats while enzymic reaction and spectrophotometry used to determine serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, and hiobarbituric acid colorimetric analysis (TBA) used to determine serum malonaldehyde (MDA) content. The dose of 2.24 g/kg Shuyu tablet enhanced SOD and GSH-Px activity while decreased MDA content in depressed rats as well as 2.33 mg/kg fluoxertine (p<0.05). Radio immunoassay was used to determine plasma corticotrophin release hormone (CRH) and acethropan (ACTH) concentration in rats. But Shuyu tablet showed no significant effect on high ACTH level in depressed rats (p>0.05). Adrenal index in different group had no variance.According to the ethological changes in behavioral despair mice, anxiety mice and chronic stress depressed rats, we found that Shuyu tablet could reduce the depressive behavior in behavioral despair mice, relieved ambivalence and reduce its anxious behavior in anxiety mice, and had no excitation effect on central nervous system in Shuyu tablet treated mice. Also, Shuyu tablet showed an good effect on poor appetite, dull mental state, anhedonia and other symptom in depressed rats. All these suggest that Shuyu tablet is an effective antidepressant. Anti-oxide effect of Shuyu tablet may be one of its mechanism. But we didn't come to an definite conclusion that Shuyu tablet could regulate HPA axis function.