Zhang Xue, Huang Shiying, Zhang Shen, Ding Xiufang, Chen Baotian
Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Nan Fang Yi Ke Da Xue Xue Bao. 2012 Jan;32(1):80-4.
To assess the anxiolytic effect of Anshenfang granules (ASF), a compound traditional Chinese medicinal preparation, on anxiety in rats and the mechanism of its actions.
Male Wistar rats with anxiety induced by chronic emotional stress were randomized to receive treatments with diazepam or ASF at high, medium or low doses. The behavioral changes of the rats were evaluated using plus-maze test, after which the rats in normal control group, model group, and medium AFS dose group were sacrificed to measure the hippocampal contents of glutamic acid and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); immunohistochemistry was employed to evaluate the expressions of GABAA receptor and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 (NMDAR1).
Plus-maze test showed obvious anxiety behaviors in the model group, which were significantly meliorated by diazepam and ASF, especially at the medium dose. Hippocampal glutamate levels increased and GABA decreased significantly in the model group, and such changes were obviously attenuated, by comparable amplitudes, by treatments with diazepam and medium-dose ASF. The model group showed significantly diminished GABAA receptor-positive cells and increased NMDAR1-positive cells, which were improved by diazepam and ASF at the medium dose.
ASF produces strong anxiolytic effect in rats by increasing the content of GABA in the brain, enhancing GABAA receptor expression, reducing glutamic acid content, and decreasing NMDAR1 expression.
评估复方中药制剂安神方颗粒（ASF）对大鼠焦虑的抗焦虑作用及其作用机制。
将慢性情绪应激诱导的焦虑雄性Wistar大鼠随机分为地西泮组或高、中、低剂量ASF组进行治疗。采用十字迷宫试验评估大鼠的行为变化，之后处死正常对照组、模型组和中剂量ASF组大鼠，用高效液相色谱法（HPLC）检测海马组织中谷氨酸和γ-氨基丁酸（GABA）的含量；采用免疫组织化学法评估GABAA受体和N-甲基-D-天冬氨酸受体1（NMDAR1）的表达。
十字迷宫试验显示模型组有明显的焦虑行为，地西泮和ASF能显著改善，尤其是中剂量组。模型组海马谷氨酸水平升高，GABA水平显著降低，地西泮和中剂量ASF处理可明显减轻这些变化，且幅度相当。模型组GABAA受体阳性细胞显著减少，NMDAR1阳性细胞增加，中剂量地西泮和ASF可改善此情况。
ASF通过增加脑内GABA含量、增强GABAA受体表达、降低谷氨酸含量及减少NMDAR1表达，对大鼠产生强大的抗焦虑作用。
