Schisandrin B exerts hypnotic effects in PCPA-treated rats by increasing hypothalamic 5-HT and γ-aminobutyric acid levels

Flavonoids from mulberry leaves exhibit sleep-improving effects via regulating GABA and 5-HT receptors

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Mulberry leaf (Folium Mori) is a dried leaf of the dicotyledonous mulberry tree and is a homologous food and medicine. Treating insomnia with it is a common practice in traditional Chinese medicine. But still, its potential sleep-improving mechanism remains to be elucidated.

AIM OF REVIEW

Potential bioactive components and mechanisms of the sleep-improving effect of purified flavone from mulberry leaves (MLF) were explored through in vivo experiments, network pharmacology analysis, and molecular experimental validation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The mice model was established by pentobarbital sodium induction to evaluate the sleep-improving effect of MLF. The MLF's chemical composition was identified through a liquid chromatograph quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer (Q-TOF LC/MS) to elucidate its sleep-improving active ingredient. At last, the underlying mechanism of MLF's sleep-improving effect was elucidated through neurotransmitter detection (ELISA), network pharmacology analysis, and molecular experimental validation (quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting).

RESULTS

MLF could dramatically reduce sleep latency by 35%, prolong sleep duration by 123%, and increase the sleep rate of mice through increasing γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and serotonin (5-HT) release in serum, hypothalamus, and hippocampus. Q-TOF LC/MS identified 17 flavonoid components in MLF. Network pharmacological analysis suggested that the key sleep-improving active ingredients in MLF might be quercetin, kaempferol, morin, and delphinidin. The key path for MLF to improve sleep might be the tryptophan metabolism and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, and the key targets might be gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor subunit alpha2 Gene (GABRA2) and serotonin 1A (5-HT1A) receptors.

CONCLUSIONS

MLF has shown significant sleep-improving effects in mice and may take effect through regulating the GABA and 5-HT receptors.

Comparative analysis of sleep deprivation models: Impacts on sleep architecture, emotional state, cognitive function, and biochemical indicators in male rats

Sleep deprivation significantly affects both physiological and psychological health, with various experimental models used to study these impacts. This study compares three sleep deprivation models-Modified Multiple Platform Method (MMPM), treadmill method, and p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) method-on key physiological, cognitive, and emotional parameters in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats were subjected to 72 hours of sleep deprivation using these methods, followed by behavioral, cognitive, physiological, and biochemical assessments. Results indicated that the treadmill and PCPA methods led to significant reductions in both NREM and REM sleep (P < 0.05), with the PCPA method showing the most severe emotional effects, including heightened anxiety and depressive behaviors (P < 0.001). Cognitive impairments were most pronounced in the MMPM and treadmill groups (P < 0.01). All sleep deprivation models showed signs of autonomic nervous system dysfunction, as reflected by elevated LF/HF ratios in heart rate variability assessments (P < 0.05). Neurochemical analysis revealed reductions in hypothalamic 5-HT, Glu, and GABA levels, with the MMPM and treadmill methods causing more pronounced decreases (P < 0.05). Additionally, IL-2 levels significantly decreased while TNF-α levels increased in sleep-deprived rats compared to controls (P < 0.05). These findings highlight the distinct physiological, emotional, and cognitive impacts of different sleep deprivation models, providing a basis for model selection in future studies.

Therapeutic potential of rutin in premenstrual depression: evidence from in vivo and in vitro studies

Introduction

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a cyclical mood disorder that severely affects the daily life of women of reproductive age. Most of the medications being used clinically have limitations such as low efficacy, side effects, and high cost, so there is an urgent need to discover safer and more effective medications. Rutin is a natural flavonol glycoside with various pharmacological properties including antidepressant. The study of the efficacy and mechanism of action of rutin in PMDD-depressed subtype model rats plays an important role in the discovery of new drugs for the treatment of PMDD.

Methods

Binding of rutin to gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABAA receptors) was probed using molecular docking, microscale thermophoresis, radioactive receptor ligand binding assay and cell membrane clamp experiment. Behavioral tests in mice were performed to screen the optimal dose of rutin. Behavioral tests were performed to evaluate the effects of rutin on depressed mood, memory impairment, and social impairment in PMDD-depressed subtype model rats. HE staining and Golgi staining were performed to observe the neuronal damage in rat hippocampus. UHPLC-MS/MS targeted metabolomics was performed to detect the changes of neurotransmitter content in rat hippocampus. PCR array to detect the effect of rutin on mRNA expression of GABAA receptor partial subunits in rat hippocampus.

Results

The docking score of rutin with the GABAA receptor benzodiazepine site was -11.442 and the gliding score was -11.470. The Kd of rutin with the GABAA receptor (α1β2γ2) was 1.17 ± 0.89 μM. Rutin competed with [H3]-flunitrazepam for the GABAA receptor benzodiazepine site and inhibited the inward flow of chloride ions (P < 0.05). In PMDD-depressed subtype rats, rutin alleviated depressed mood, memory impairment and social impairment, ameliorated hippocampal neuronal damage and reduces gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and acetylcholine (ACh) levels (P < 0.05). Moreover, we found that rutin did not affect the relative mRNA expression of GABAA receptor subunits in rat hippocampus.

Discussion

Overall, rutin alleviated depressed mood, memory impairment and social impairment in PMDD-depressed subtype rats, which may be related to binding to GABAA receptor benzodiazepine sites, inhibiting chloride ions inward flow, ameliorating hippocampal neuronal damage and reducing GABA and ACh levels. The results of this study provide an experimental basis and scientific evidence for the development of new drugs for the treatment of PMDD.

Analysis of pharmacological effects and mechanisms of compound essential oils via GC-MS and network pharmacology

Aromatherapy based on essential oil (EO) has been widely used for alleviating pain and intense where no compound EO reports its application on pharmacological effects. In order to explore the active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and mechanism of a compound EO, a blend of Artemisia argyi, Boswellia carterii, Commiphora myrrha, Cinnamomum cassia, Zingiber oj-jicinale, and Ilex pubescens EO, in treating neck and shoulder pain (NSP). Network pharmacology hyphenated with mice model was employed to investigate. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was applied for the identification of constituents in compound EO. Lastly, transdermal absorption of compound EO was studied before verifying analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects in mice. Totally, 75 compounds were tentatively identified through GC-MS, predicting 46 potential analgesic targets. Moreover, 11 core targets were obtained through network topology screening. Animal test resulted that the compound EO had significantly stronger anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects compared to single EO. Multiple API in compound EO affected on targets and exerted therapeutic effects on NSP through multiple pathways. Afterwards, eucalyptol, camphor, and borneol from compound EO exhibited a sustained-release effect, which provide scientific basis to illustrate the application of compound EO in clinical.

Research progress on the effect of medicine and food homology resources for sleep improvement

Insomnia can have a negative impact on people's life or even cause mental or physical diseases. In China, the usage of medicine food homology herbal resources to treat insomnia has a long history. This review, which is based on the theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), summarizes the research progress of medicine and food homology (MFH) resources in treating insomnia. Through literature search from the last 8 years, we compared the understanding of insomnia between TCM and modern pharmacology, found 21 kinds of MFH plants and 15 kinds of prescriptions containing MFH plants that have the effect of improving sleep and summarized the mechanism of their treatment of insomnia. Our study will provide theoretical support for the development and utilization of MFH plant resources with sleep-enhancing properties and provide positive insights and direction references for more effective treatment of insomnia disease.

Eucalyptus essential oil exerted a sedative-hypnotic effect by influencing brain neurotransmitters and gut microbes via the gut microbiota-brain axis

Sleep disorders are becoming more and more common, leading to many health problems. However, most of current available medications to treat sleep disorders are addictive and even impair cognitive abilities. Therefore, it is important to find a natural and safe alternative to treat sleep disorders. In this study, twenty-four 8-week-old male ICR mice (25 ± 2 g) were equally divided into three groups: the control group (gavage of 0.9% saline), the eucalyptus essential oil (EEO) group (10 mg/kg B.W.), and the diazepam group (1 mg/kg B.W.). Firstly, open field test and sleep induction test were used to determine the sedative-hypnotic effect of EEO. Secondly, the effect of EEO on neurotransmitters in the mice brain was determined. Finally, based on the gut microbiota-brain axis (GMBA), the effect of EEO on the intestinal flora of mice was explored. It was found that EEO significantly reduce the activity and prolong the sleep duration of mice, exhibiting a good sedative-hypnotic effect. In the brain, EEO could increase the levels of sleep-promoting neurotransmitters, such as glutamine, Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, tryptophan, N-acetylserotonin, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA). In the intestine, EEO was found to increase the diversity of gut microbes, the abundance of short chain fatty acid (SCFA) producing flora, and the abundance of functional flora synthesizing GABA and glycine neurotransmitters. These studies suggested that EEO exerted a sedative-hypnotic effect by acting on gut microbes and neurotransmitters in the brain. EEO has the potential to become a natural and safe alternative to traditional hypnotic sedative drugs.

Study on chemical characterization and sleep-improvement function of Prunella vulgaris L. based on the functional components

Prunella vulgaris L. (P. vulgaris) has great application value and development prospects in improving sleep. In this study, we continued to evaluate the sleep-improvement function and mechanism of P. vulgaris from both chemical characterization and function based on sleep-improvement functional ingredients, rosmarinic acid and salviaflaside, screened out in the previous stage as the index components. The chemical constituents of P. vulgaris and its phenolic acid fraction were characterized by the UPLC-MSn technology. The quality of the sleep-improvement phenolic acid fraction of P. vulgaris was scientifically evaluated by fingerprints combined with quantitative analysis of rosmarinic acid and salviaflaside. The function of phenolic acid parts of P. vulgaris in improving sleep was verified by different insomnia models including the PCPA-induced insomnia model and surface platform sleep deprivation model. HE staining was used to observe the effect of P. vulgaris on the morphology of nerve cells in different brain regions. In vivo experiments and molecular docking explored the sedative-hypnotic effects of functional ingredients of P. vulgaris. All these results investigated the material basis and mechanism of P. vulgaris to improve sleep from multiple perspectives, which contribute to providing a basis for the development of functional food to improve sleep.

Sophora flavescens alcohol extract ameliorates insomnia and promotes PI3K/AKT/BDNF signaling transduction in insomnia model rats

Active ingredient of Sophora flavescens is reported to promote non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. However, the role of Sophora flavescens alcohol extract in insomnia is elusive, which is addressed in this study, together with the exploration on its potential mechanism. An insomnia model of rats was established by para-chlorophenylalanine induction and further treated with SFAE or Zaoren Anshen capsule (ZRAS; positive control drug). Sleep quality and sleep architecture of rats were evaluated by the sleep test, electroencephalogram and electromyogram. The levels of monoamine neurotransmitters in rat hypothalamus were determined using ELISA, and the transduction of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling in the brain tissues of rats was examined by Western blot. SFAE and ZRAS increased the sleeping time and decreased the sleep latency of insomnia rats. SFAE reduced waking time and increased NREM and REM time, while changing power density of wakefulness, NREM sleep, and REM sleep in insomnia rats. SFAE and ZRAS upregulated levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, and downregulated those of norepinephrine and dopamine in insomnia rats. Besides, SFAE and ZRAS elevated BDNF expression as well as the ratios of phosphorylated (p)-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT. The role of SFAE in insomnia model rats was similar with that of ZRAS. SFAE reduces insomnia and enhances the PI3K/AKT/BDNF signaling transduction in insomnia model rats, which can function as a drug candidate for insomnia.

Effects of aqueous extracts and volatile oils prepared from Huaxiang Anshen decoction on p-chlorophenylalanine-induced insomnia mice

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Insomnia occurs frequently in modern society, and its common symptoms include difficulty in falling asleep and decreased sleep quality and time, memory, and attention. With the advantages of having few side-effects and reduced drug-dependence, a compound traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription called Huaxiang Anshen Decoction (HAD) has been widely used in clinical practice in China mainly for primary insomnia treatment. Although the effects of volatile oils from TCM herbs have been increasingly reported, volatile oils in HAD are conventionally neglected because of its preparation process and clinical usage. Therefore, exploring the anti-insomnia effects of volatile oils from HAD is of great importance.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The sedative and hypnotic effects of the conventional aqueous extracts, the volatile oils from HAD, and their combinations were investigated.

METHODS

The main components in HAD volatile oils (HAD-Oils), were analyzed through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The HAD volatile oil inclusion complex (HAD-OIC) was prepared with β-cyclodextrin, and characterized. P-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) was used to induce insomnia mice model and the test groups of HAD aqueous extract (HAD-AE), HAD-OIC and their combination (AE-OIC). An open field test was used in evaluating the mice's activities, and the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in mice sera, glutamate (Glu) in the hypothalamus, and γ-aminobutyric acid (γ-GABA) and dopamine (DA) in the brain tissues were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTS

A total 74 components in HAD-Oil were determined by GC/MS, and cyperenone (20.46%) and α-cyperone (10.39%) had the highest relative content. The characterization results of the physical phase showed that volatile oils were successfully encapsulated by β-cyclodextrin and HAD-OIC was produced. The average encapsulation rates of cyperenone and α-cyperone were 79.93% and 71.96%, respectively. The results of pharmacology study showed that all the test groups increased the body weight and decreased voluntary activity when compared with the model group (P < 0.05). The HAD-AE, HAD-OIC, and AE-OIC groups increased the levels of 5-HT in the sera and DA and Glu/γ-GABA in the brains, and AE-OIC groups showed better performance than the other test groups.

CONCLUSIONS

HAD-Oil exerts sedative and hypnotic effects, which are increased when it is used with HAD-AEs. This result provides a favorable experimental evidence that volatile oils should be retained for the further development of HAD.

Mass spectrum oriented metabolomics for evaluating the efficacy and discovering the metabolic mechanism of Naoling Pian for insomnia

Insomnia is an accompanying symptom of many diseases and is closely associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Naoling Pian (NLP) is a patented Chinese medicine mainly used to treat insomnia. To evaluate the sedative and hypnotic effects of NLP and its modulatory effects on biological metabolites and metabolic pathways, rats with p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA)-induced insomnia were given different doses of NLP by oral gavage for seven days. Diazepam (DZP) served as a positive control. Behavior was measured using the open field test, and neurotransmitter levels in the brain tissue related to sleep were measured using ELISA. The metabolic profiles and biomarkers of PCPA-induced insomnia in rats before and after NLP administration were analyzed using UPLC-Q/TOF-MS combined with multivariate data analysis. The results showed that the levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, norepinephrine, and dopamine in the brain tissue were significantly recovered in the NLP treatment groups, demonstrating similar or even superior therapeutic effects compared to the DZP group. The behavior of the PCPA-model rats partially recovered to normal levels after seven days of treatment. Metabolomics identified 30 metabolites in the urine as potential biomarkers of insomnia, and NLP significantly altered 25 of these, involving 21 metabolic pathways. NLP has a remarkable effect on insomnia, the therapeutic effects of which may be largely due to the rectification of metabolic disturbances. This is the first study of the sedative and hypnotic effects of NLP from a metabolomic perspective.

In Silico Analysis, Anticonvulsant Activity, and Toxicity Evaluation of Schisandrin B in Zebrafish Larvae and Mice

The aim of this study is to evaluate the anticonvulsant potential of schisandrin B, a main ingredient of Schisandra chinensis extracts. Schisandrin B showed anticonvulsant activity in the zebrafish larva pentylenetetrazole acute seizure assay but did not alter seizure thresholds in the intravenous pentylenetetrazole test in mice. Schisandrin B crosses the blood-brain barrier, which we confirmed in our in silico and in vivo analyses; however, the low level of its unbound fraction in the mouse brain tissue may explain the observed lack of anticonvulsant activity. Molecular docking revealed that the anticonvulsant activity of the compound in larval zebrafish might have been due to its binding to a benzodiazepine site within the GABAA receptor and/or the inhibition of the glutamate NMDA receptor. Although schisandrin B showed a beneficial anticonvulsant effect, toxicological studies revealed that it caused serious developmental impairment in zebrafish larvae, underscoring its teratogenic properties. Further detailed studies are needed to precisely identify the properties, pharmacological effects, and safety of schisandrin B.

Herbal medicines for insomnia through regulating 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors: a systematic review

Insomnia is a common sleep disorder without effective therapy and can affect a person's life. The mechanism of the disease is not completely understood. Hence, there is a need to understand the targets related to insomnia, in order to develop innovative therapies and new compounds. Recently, increasing interest has been focused on complementary and alternative medicines for treating or preventing insomnia. Research into their molecular components has revealed that their sedative and sleep-promoting properties rely on the interactions with various neurotransmitter systems in the brain. In this review, the role of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in insomnia development is summarized, while a systematic analysis of studies is conducted to assess the mechanisms of herbal medicines on different 5-HT receptors subtypes, in order to provide reference for subsequent research.

PtNPs/Short MWCNT-PEDOT: PSS-Modified Microelectrode Array to Detect Neuronal Firing Patterns in the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus and Hippocampus of Insomnia Rats

Research on the intracerebral mechanism of insomnia induced by serotonin (5-HT) deficiency is indispensable. In order to explore the effect of 5-HT deficiency-induced insomnia on brain regions related to memory in rats, we designed and fabricated a microelectrode array that simultaneously detects the electrical activity of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and hippocampus in normal, insomnia and recovery rats in vivo. In the DRN and hippocampus of insomnia rats, our results showed that the spike amplitudes decreased by 40.16 and 57.92%, the spike repolarization slope decreased by 44.64 and 48.59%, and the spiking rate increased by 66.81 and 63.40%. On a mesoscopic scale, the increased firing rates of individual neurons led to an increased δ wave power. In the DRN and hippocampus of insomnia rats, the δ wave power increased by 57.57 and 67.75%. Furthermore, two segments’ δ wave slopes were also increased in two brain regions of the insomnia rats. Our findings suggest that 5-HT deficiency causes the hyperactivity of neurons in the hippocampus and DRN; the DRN’s firing rate and the hippocampal neuronal amplitude reflect insomnia in rats more effectively. Further studies on alleviating neurons affected by 5-HT deficiency and on achieving a highly effective treatment for insomnia by the microelectrode array are needed.

Utilizing network pharmacology and experimental validation to explore the potential molecular mechanisms of BanXia-YiYiRen in treating insomnia

BanXia-YiYiRen (Pinellia Ternata and Coix Seed, BX-YYR) has been clinically proven to be an effective Chinese medicine compatible with the treatment of insomnia. However, the underlying mechanism of BX-YYR against insomnia remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the pharmacological mechanisms of BX-YYR in treating insomnia based on network pharmacology and experimental validation. The drug-disease targets were obtained using publicly available databases. The analysis revealed 21 active compounds and 101 potential targets of BX-YYR from the pharmacological database of Chinese medicine system and analysis platform (TCMSP) and 1020 related targets of insomnia from the GeneCards and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) databases. Furthermore, 38 common targets of BX-YYR against insomnia were identified, and these common targets were used to construct a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network. The visual PPI network was constructed by Cytoscape software. The top three genes from PPI according to degree value are FOS, AKT1, and CASP3. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment were applied to reveal the potential targets and signaling pathways involved in BX-YYR against insomnia, especially the serotonergic pathway. In addition, molecular docking revealed that baicalein, beta-sitosterol, and stigmasterol displayed strong binding to AKT1, FOS, PRKCA, and VEGFA. Experimental study found that BX-YYR against insomnia might play a role in improving sleep by modulating the serotonergic pathway. In summary, our findings revealed the underlying mechanism of BX-YYR against insomnia and provided an objective basis for further experimental study and clinical application.

Herbal Remedies and Their Possible Effect on the GABAergic System and Sleep

Sleep is an essential component of physical and emotional well-being, and lack, or disruption, of sleep due to insomnia is a highly prevalent problem. The interest in complementary and alternative medicines for treating or preventing insomnia has increased recently. Centuries-old herbal treatments, popular for their safety and effectiveness, include valerian, passionflower, lemon balm, lavender, and Californian poppy. These herbal medicines have been shown to reduce sleep latency and increase subjective and objective measures of sleep quality. Research into their molecular components revealed that their sedative and sleep-promoting properties rely on interactions with various neurotransmitter systems in the brain. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that plays a major role in controlling different vigilance states. GABA receptors are the targets of many pharmacological treatments for insomnia, such as benzodiazepines. Here, we perform a systematic analysis of studies assessing the mechanisms of action of various herbal medicines on different subtypes of GABA receptors in the context of sleep control. Currently available evidence suggests that herbal extracts may exert some of their hypnotic and anxiolytic activity through interacting with GABA receptors and modulating GABAergic signaling in the brain, but their mechanism of action in the treatment of insomnia is not completely understood.