Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China; The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China; Key Laboratory of Effective Substances Research and Utilization in TCM of Shanxi Province, Taiyuan 030006, China.
Modern Research Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China; The Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China; Key Laboratory of Effective Substances Research and Utilization in TCM of Shanxi Province, Taiyuan 030006, China.
Phytomedicine. 2021 Jul;87:153581. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2021.153581. Epub 2021 Apr 24.
Xiaoyaosan (XYS), a classic traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription that contained eight Chinese herbs, has been used for treating depression for thousands of years. Yet, the underlying mechanisms are still unclear, which need to be investigated from various perspectives. Disassembling a prescription is one of the effective approaches to study the effects and the mechanisms of TCM prescriptions. By disassembling the prescription, we can find effective combinations of individual herbs to simplify the scale of a given prescription. Accordingly, herein, XYS was disassembled into Shugan and Jianpi groups.
This study aimed to explore the anti-depressive effects of XYS and its disassembled groups on the digestive system functions and the cecal microbiota of rats.
XYS was divided into two efficacy groups, i.e., the Shugan (SG) and the Jianpi (JP) groups. A depression model was applied by using the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) method. Various classic behavioral tests were performed to assess the anti-depressive effects of the XYS, the SG, and the JP. Afterward, the effects of the three groups on the digestive system functions and the cecum microbiota of depression rats were evaluated. On top of this, correlation analyses between behavioral and digestive system function indexes and cecum microbiota were conducted.
The XYS, the SG, and the JP had significant callback effects on depressive behaviors and gastrointestinal dysfunctions of CUMS rats. The compositions of the gut bacterial community were variable among the five groups. The community composition of the SG was the most similar to that of NC, followed by the XYS and the JP. At phylum, family, and genus levels, 31 potential microbial biomarkers associated with CUMS were identified. Twenty biomarkers were significantly reversed by the SG while 16 and 11 biomarkers were reversed by the XYS and the JP, respectively. The results of degrees of regulatory effects showed that the SG had the highest efficacy index (EI) than the XYS and the JP.
Regarding the regulation of cecal microbiota of depression rats, the SG treatment was better than XYS and JP. Therefore, SG could be used individually for the clinical treatment of depression, especially in patients with gastrointestinal and gut microbiota disorders.
逍遥散（XYS）是一种经典的中药方剂，包含八种中草药，已有数千年用于治疗抑郁症。然而，其潜在机制仍不清楚，需要从多个角度进行研究。拆分方剂是研究中药方剂作用和机制的有效方法之一。通过拆分处方，我们可以找到个别草药的有效组合，从而简化给定处方的规模。因此，在此将 XYS 拆分为疏肝和健脾两组。
本研究旨在探讨 XYS 及其拆分组对大鼠消化系统功能和盲肠微生物群的抗抑郁作用。
将 XYS 分为两个功效组，即疏肝（SG）和健脾（JP）组。采用慢性不可预测轻度应激（CUMS）方法建立抑郁模型。采用各种经典行为测试评估 XYS、SG 和 JP 的抗抑郁作用。之后，评估三组对抑郁大鼠消化系统功能和盲肠微生物群的影响。在此基础上，对行为和消化系统功能指标与盲肠微生物群进行相关性分析。
XYS、SG 和 JP 对 CUMS 大鼠的抑郁行为和胃肠功能障碍均有明显的回调作用。肠道细菌群落的组成在五组之间存在差异。SG 的群落组成与 NC 最相似，其次是 XYS 和 JP。在门、科和属水平上，共鉴定出 31 个与 CUMS 相关的潜在微生物生物标志物。SG 显著逆转了 20 个生物标志物，XYS 和 JP 分别逆转了 16 个和 11 个生物标志物。调节效应程度的结果表明，SG 的功效指数（EI）高于 XYS 和 JP。
在调节抑郁大鼠盲肠微生物群方面，SG 治疗优于 XYS 和 JP。因此，SG 可单独用于临床治疗抑郁症，特别是胃肠道和肠道微生物群紊乱的患者。
