The role of allopregnanolone in the anxiolytic-like effect of free and easy wanderer plus (FEWP), a polyherbal preparation. (19th May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Qiu, Zhi-Kun; He, Jia-Li; Liu, Xu; Lai, Sha; Ma, Jian-Chun; Zeng, Jia; Li, Yan; Wu, Hong-Wei; Chen, Yong; Shen, Yong-Gang; Chen, Ji-Sheng; Luo, Min
• Is Part Of: Neuroscience letters. Volume 595(2015)
• Page Start: 94
• Page End: 98
• Publication Date: 2015-05-19
• Subjects: Allopregnanolone -- Anxiolytic -- Behavioral deficits -- FEWP; Neurology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Research -- Periodicals; Neurologie -- Périodiques; Neuroanatomie -- Périodiques; Neuropharmacologie -- Périodiques; Neurophysiologie -- Périodiques; Neurology; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 617.48
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2015.03.039
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0304-3940

Abstract

Highlights: Anxiogenic-like behavior was associated with allopregnanolone. FEWP alleviated the anxiogenic-like behavior in rat. The anxiolytic-like effect of FEWP by allopregnanolone biosynthesis. Abstract: Anxiety disorders are the serious and burdensome psychiatric illnesses, which are closely correlated with allopregnanolone. The down-regulation of allopregnanolone biosynthesis has been implicated as the possible contributor to the aetiology of anxiety disorders. Free and easy wanderer plus (FEWP) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine that had been shown to be effective in various mood disorders. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the anxiolytic-like effect of FEWP and its association with the level of allopregnanolone in the brain. The animal behavioral tests were processed by the acute FEWP (2.5, 5 and 10 mg/kg, p.o.) treatment. It had been shown that FEWP produced anxiolytic-like effects in behavioral models, including novelty suppressed feeding (5, 10 mg/kg, p.o.), Vogel-type conflict test (10 mg/kg, p.o.), elevated plus-maze test (5, 10 mg/kg, p.o.). The animals were decapitated after the end of the behavioral tests and measured the allopregnanolone level of the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The allopregnanolone level of the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus was increased by administration of FEWP (5, 10 mg/kg, p.o.). Overall, these results indicated that FEWP exerts anxiolytic-like effects that were associated with the stiumlation of the allopregnanolone biosynthesis.