Psychological Stress Caused By Neuroendocrine Thymus Axis Dysfunction And The Regulation Of Chinese Medicine Research

Psychological stress results from the recognition of imbalance between self-adaptability and requirement of environment, thus result in strain of the body and anxiety of the mind. Presently more and more people pay attention to the damage from psychological stress.This research applied modern methods and measurements and explored the influence of psychological stress on the neuron—endocrine-thymus axis (NET) and the protection mechanism of JIA-WEI-XIAO-YAO pill. This paper was a typical example of theory modernization research based on FangYao and has some important science and theory significances.The psychological stress model was established using foot electric shock box. The immediately early gene (c-Fos, c-Jun) was detected as a probe. The four brain areas and nuclei (hippocampus CA_1-4, central amygdaloid nucleus CAN, paraventricular nucleus PVN and supraoptic nucleus SON) were investigated to analyse the influence of psychological stress on the central nerve system (brain) and the effect of JIA-WEI-XIAO-YAO pill. The results were: 1h after stress, the c-Fos and c-Jun protein expression in the four nuclei began to grow, 3h later reached its peak amount then began to decrease and back to its normal levels at about 6h after stress. The c-Fos and c-Jun protein expression decreased significantly in the groups fed with JIA-WEI-XIAO-YAO pill than did not feed groups. JIA-WEI-XIAO-YAO pill maybe regulate psychological stress reaction by affecting c-Fos and c-Jun protein expression in the brain areas and nuclei and it take effects after three days feeding. Its effect of blockage of HPA axis might relate with its regulating c-Fos and c-Jun protein expression in the brain areas and nuclei.Metyrapone was used to block the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal cortex axis (HPA axis) and compared its effects with JIA-WEI-XIAO-YAO pill. The thymus index, spleen index, thymus apoptosis, the proliferation function of spleen lymphocytes, NK lymphocytes activation and thymus pathology were studied. Wefound that in the psychological stress groups HPA axis was disordered and the protection mechanism of JIA-WEI-XIAO-YAO PILL is related to protect the thymus and spleen from atrophy and apoptosis. Blockage of the HPA axis showed a significant protection on immune system function in chronic emotional stress mice. The effects and mechanism of JIA-WEI-XIAO-YAO PILL against chronic emotional stress damage might relate with the blockage of HPA axis.6-hydroxydopamine was used to block the sympathetic-adrenal medulla axis (SA). The results suggested that the sympathetic-nerve system played an important role in the immunotoxicity of emotional stressed mice. The effects of JIA-WEI-XIAO-YAO PILL which protected thymus from atrophy and apoptosis were better than the SA blocked groups. We deduced that the protection effects of JIA-WEI-XIAO-YAO pill and the blockage of SA were not identical.From research above, we concluded that excess and continuous emotional stress may cause the disorder of central nerve system. The main disorders of endocrine system as HPA and SA axis may result in disorder of thymus and immune function.This paper investigated the protection mechanism of JIA-WEI-XIAO-YAO pill from three levels (neuron, endocrine and thymus). The results showed that JIA-WEI-XIAO-YAO pill could regulating c-Fos and c-Jun protein expression in the brain areas and nuclei, could regulating HPA axis disorder, protecting thymus from apoptosis and atrophy and enhance the cytoimmune function. We also observed that the mice fed with JIA-WEI-XIAO-YAO pi 11 felt happier, more calmful and grew faster than those non-fed groups. All those research provided with significance experimental data for the prevention and treatment of TCM on psychological diseases.