Kulkarni M P, Juvekar A R
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Mumbai University Institute of Chemical Technology, Matunga, Mumbai 400019, India.
Indian J Pharm Sci. 2008 May-Jun;70(3):327-32. doi: 10.4103/0250-474X.42982.
Aqueous extract of leaves of Nelumbo nucifera was investigated on acute stress (immobilization stress)-induced biochemical alterations in Swiss mice. The animals were also subjected to acute physical stress (swimming endurance test) and acute chemical stress (writhing test) to gauge the antistress potential of the extract. Further to evaluate the antistress activity of Nelumbo nucifera in chronic stress condition, fresh Wistar rats were subjected to cold restraint stress (4 degrees for 1 h) for 7 days after 21 days of pretreatment with the extract. Stimulation of hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis in stressful condition alters plasma glucose, triglyceride, cholesterol, total protein and corticosterone levels. Pretreatment with the extract significantly ameliorated the stress-induced variations in these biochemical levels in both acute and chronic stress models. The extract treated animals showed increase in swimming endurance time and reduced number of writhes in physical and chemical-induced stress models respectively. Treatment groups also reverted back perturbed neurotransmitter levels (norepinephrine, dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine) in brain as well as increase in adrenal gland weights and atrophy of spleen caused by cold chronic stress. In mice immunized with sheep red blood cells, treatment groups subjected to restraint stress prevented the humoral immune response to the antigen. Histopathological studies of adrenal gland of stress control group revealed vacuolar degeneration, loss of architecture and formation of lesions in the cortex, which was reversed by extract treatment. The results indicate that aqueous extract of Nelumbo nucifera has significant adaptogenic activity against a variety of biochemical, histological, physiological and immunological perturbations in acute and chronic stress models.
研究了莲(Nelumbo nucifera)叶水提取物对瑞士小鼠急性应激(固定应激)诱导的生化改变的影响。还对动物进行了急性身体应激(游泳耐力试验)和急性化学应激(扭体试验),以评估该提取物的抗应激潜力。为了进一步评估莲在慢性应激条件下的抗应激活性,在用该提取物预处理21天后,将新鲜的Wistar大鼠置于冷束缚应激(4摄氏度,1小时)下7天。应激条件下下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺轴的刺激会改变血浆葡萄糖、甘油三酯、胆固醇、总蛋白和皮质酮水平。在急性和慢性应激模型中,用该提取物预处理可显著改善应激诱导的这些生化水平变化。在物理和化学诱导的应激模型中,经提取物处理的动物分别表现出游泳耐力时间增加和扭体次数减少。治疗组还使大脑中受干扰的神经递质水平(去甲肾上腺素、多巴胺和5-羟色胺)恢复正常,以及使冷慢性应激导致的肾上腺重量增加和脾脏萎缩得到缓解。在用绵羊红细胞免疫的小鼠中,遭受束缚应激的治疗组阻止了对抗原的体液免疫反应。应激对照组肾上腺的组织病理学研究显示皮质有空泡变性、结构丧失和病变形成,而提取物处理可使其逆转。结果表明,莲叶水提取物在急性和慢性应激模型中对多种生化、组织学、生理和免疫干扰具有显著的适应原活性。