Berberine and evodiamine influence serotonin transporter (5-HTT) expression via the 5-HTT-linked polymorphic region. Pharmacogenomics J. 2012;12:372-378. [PMID: 21647174 DOI: 10.1038/tpj.2011.24]

Research progress on pharmacological effects and bioavailability of berberine

Berberine (BBR), a benzylisoquinoline alkaloid obtained from natural medicines such as coptidis rhizoma, has a wide range of pharmacological activities such as protecting the nervous system, protecting the cardiovascular system, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, antitumor, antibacterial, and antidiarrheal. However, factors such as poor solubility, low permeability, P-glycoprotein (P-gp) efflux, and hepatic-intestinal metabolism result in BBR having a low bioavailability (< 1%), which restricts its application in clinical settings. Therefore, improving its bioavailability is a prerequisite for its clinical applications. This review summarizes the various pharmacological effects of BBR and analyzes the main reasons for its poor bioavailability. It introduces methods to improve the bioavailability of BBR through the use of absorption enhancers and P-gp inhibitors, structural modification of BBR, and preparation of BBR salts and cocrystals as well as the development of new formulations and focuses on the bioavailability study of the new formulations of BBR. The research of BBR was also prospected in order to provide reference for the further research of BBR.

Effects of Evodiamine on Behavior and Hippocampal Neurons through Inhibition of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme and Modulation of the Renin Angiotensin Pathway in a Mouse Model of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a persistent psychiatric condition that arises following exposure to traumatic events such as warfare, natural disasters, or other catastrophic incidents, typically characterized by heightened anxiety, depressive symptoms, and cognitive dysfunction. In this study, animals subjected to single prolonged stress (SPS) were administered evodiamine (EVO) and compared to a positive control group receiving sertraline. The animals were then assessed for alterations in anxiety, depression, and cognitive function. Histological analysis was conducted to examine neuronal changes in the hippocampus. In order to predict the core targets and related mechanisms of evodiamine intervention in PTSD, network pharmacology was used. The metabolic markers pre- and post-drug administration were identified using nontargeted serum metabolomics techniques, and the intersecting Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were screened. Finally, the core targets were validated through molecular docking, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and immunofluorescence staining to confirm the anti-PTSD effects and mechanisms of these targets. As well as improving cognitive impairment, evodiamine reversed anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. It also inhibited the reduction in the number of hippocampal neuronal cells and Nissl bodies in SPS mice inhibited angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) levels in the hippocampus of SPS mice, and modulated the renin angiotensin pathway and its associated serum metabolites in brain tissue. Evodiamine shows promise as a potential candidate for alleviating the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Research progress on antidepressant effects and mechanisms of berberine

Depression, a global health problem with growing prevalence, brings serious impacts on the daily life of patients. However, the antidepressants currently used in clinical are not perfectly effective, which greatly reduces the compliance of patients. Berberine is a natural quaternary alkaloid which has been shown to have a variety of pharmacological effects, such as hypoglycemic, lipid-regulation, anti-cancer, antibacterial, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, and antidepressant. This review summarizes the evidence of pharmacological applications of berberine in treating depression and elucidates the mechanisms of berberine regulating neurotransmitter levels, promoting the regeneration of hippocampal neurons, improving hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction, anti-oxidative stress, and suppressing inflammatory status in order to provide a reference for further research and clinical application of berberine.

Uncovering the Potential Mechanisms of Coptis chinensis Franch. for Serious Mental Illness by Network Pharmacology and Pharmacology-Based Analysis

Background

Serious mental illness is a disease with complex etiological factors that requires multiple interventions within a holistic disease system. With heat-clearing and detoxifying effects, Coptis chinensis Franch. is mainly used to treat serious mental illness.

Aim of the Study

To explore the underlying mechanisms and therapeutic effect by which Coptis chinensis Franch. treats serious mental illnesses at a holistic level.

Methods

A viable network pharmacology approach was adopted to obtain the potential active ingredients of Coptis chinensis Franch., and serious mental illnesses-related targets and signaling pathways. The interactions between crucial target HTR2A and constituents were verified by molecular docking, and the dynamic behaviors of binding were studied by molecular dynamics simulation. In addition, the anti-anxiety effect of Rhizoma Coptidis (the roots of Coptis chinensis Franch.) extract on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated mice was verified. The anxiety-like behavior was measured through the elevated plus-maze test, light–dark box test, and open field test. Radioimmunoassays detected the levels of interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-10, interleukin-4, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and dopamine in the serum, hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex, and amygdala. Meanwhile, immunohistochemistry protocols for the assessment of neuronal loss (neuron-specific nuclear protein) and synaptic alterations (Synapsin I) were performed in the hippocampus.

Results

Based on scientific analysis of the established networks, serious mental illnesses-related targets mostly participated in the calcium signaling pathway, cyclic adenosine monophosphate signaling pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, serotonergic and dopaminergic synapse. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies illustrated that berberine, epiberberine, palmatine, and coptisine presented favorable binding patterns with HTR2A. The in vivo experiments confirmed that Rhizoma Coptidis extract ameliorated anxiety-like behaviors by improving the survival of neurons, regulating synaptic plasticity, and inhibiting neuroinflammation.

Conclusion

These findings in the present study led to potential preventative and therapeutic strategies for serious mental illnesses with traditional Chinese medicine.

Intranasal co-delivery of berberine and evodiamine by self-assembled thermosensitive in-situ hydrogels for improving depressive disorder

The orally administrated antidepressants not only caused side effects such as dizziness, diarrhea, and drug resistance, but also worked slowly. Therefore, new antidepressants and preparations derived from natural medicines play an important role in the study of antidepressant drugs. It was reported that the two components of Zuojin pill, berberine (BBR) and evodiamine (EVO), were used in combination to improve depressive disorder. In our study, a self-assembled thermosensitive in-situ hydrogel was prepared to achieve sustained co-delivery of BBR and EVO. The preparation process of hydrogel consists of two steps, namely, the inclusion of the drugs and thermosensitive self-assembly of the hydrogel. In vitro experimental results indicated that the prepared hydrogel showed a good thermosensitive property under physiological temperature. The hydrogel had a slow and controlled release behavior for BBR and EVO, according with first-order equation. In vivo experimental results indicated that compared to intragastric administration of drug solution, the intranasal administration of hydrogel increased bioavailability of BBR and EVO, approximately 135 and 112 folds, respectively. The hydrogel at a low dose significantly reversed behavioral despair of the mice, improved depressive symptom of rats, and treated depressive disorder by regulating the abnormal levels of monoamine neurotransmitters (including 5-hydroxytryptamine, noradrenalin and dopamine) metabolism and related metabolic pathways such as purine, citrate cycle, scorbate and aldarate, butanoate, vitamin B6, and pyrimidine metabolism. Therefore, as a drug co-delivery system, the intranasally administrated hydrogels with a good release and high bioavailability provides a non-invasive therapeutic strategy for the clinical treatment of depression, which attains antidepressant effects by regulation of the monoamine neurotransmitters metabolism and related metabolic pathways.

Gegen Qinlian decoction enhances immunity and protects intestinal barrier function in colorectal cancer patients via gut microbiota

BACKGROUND

We previously showed, using the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology Database, that Gegen Qinlian decoction (GQD) had a direct antitumor effect, and was combined with programmed cell death protein (PD)-1 inhibitors to treat microsatellite stable (MSS) tumor-bearing mice. However, the effect of GQD on patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) is not clear.

AIM

To determine the therapeutic mechanism of GQD in improving immune function, reducing inflammation and protecting intestinal barrier function.

METHODS

Seventy patients with CRC were included in this study: 37 in the control group and 33 in the treatment group. The proportions of CD4⁺ T, CD8⁺ T, natural killer (NK), NKT and T regulatory cells were measured by flow cytometry. Levels of the cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, IL-10 and serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) in serum were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression of zonula occludens (ZO)-1, occludin, nuclear factor (NF)-κB and TNF-α in tumor and normal tissues was measured by immunohistochemistry. The composition of gut microbiota from patients in the treatment group was assessed using 16S rDNA analysis.

RESULTS

There were no adverse events in the treatment group. The proportion of CD4⁺ T cells and NKT cells in the post-treatment group was significantly higher than that in the pre-treatment and control groups (P < 0.05). The level of TNF-α in the post-treatment group was significantly lower than that in the pre-treatment and control groups (P < 0.05). The concentration of 5-HT in the post-treatment group was significantly lower than that in the pre-treatment group (P < 0.05). The expression of ZO-1 and occludin in tumor tissues in the treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The expression of ZO-1 in normal tissues of the treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P = 0.010). Compared with the control group, expression of NF-κB and TNF-α in tumor tissues of the treatment group was significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Compared with the pre-treatment group, GQD decreased the relative abundance of Megamonas and Veillonella. In addition, GQD increased the relative abundance of Bacteroides, Akkermansia and Prevotella.

CONCLUSION

GQD enhances immunity and protects intestinal barrier function in patients with CRC by regulating the composition of gut microbiota.

Evodiamine: A review of its pharmacology, toxicity, pharmacokinetics and preparation researches

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Evodia rutaecarpa, a well-known herb medicine in China, is extensively applied in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The plant has the effects of dispersing cold and relieving pain, arresting vomiting, and helping Yang and stopping diarrhea. Modern research demonstrates that evodiamine, the main component of Evodia rutaecarpa, is the material basis for its efficacy.

AIMS OF THE REVIEW

This paper is primarily addressed to summarize the current studies on evodiamine. The progress in research on the pharmacology, toxicology, pharmacokinetics, preparation researches and clinical application are reviewed. Moreover, outlooks and directions for possible future studies concerning it are also discussed.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The information of this systematic review was conducted with resources of multiple literature databases including PubMed, Google scholar, Web of Science and Wiley Online Library and so on, with employing a combination of keywords including "pharmacology", "toxicology", "pharmacokinetics" and "clinical application", etc. RESULTS: As the main component of Evodia rutaecarpa, evodiamine shows considerable pharmacological activities, such as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-microbial, heart protection and metabolic disease regulation. However, it is also found that it has significant hepatotoxicity and cardiotoxicity, thereby it should be monitored in clinical. In addition, available data demonstrate that the evodiamine has a needy solubility in aqueous medium. Scientific and reasonable pharmaceutical strategies should be introduced to improve the above defects. Meanwhile, more efforts should be made to develop novel efficient and low toxic derivatives.

CONCLUSIONS

This review summarizes the results from current studies of evodiamine, which is one of the valuable medicinal ingredients from Evodia rutaecarpa. With the assistance of relevant pharmacological investigation, some conventional application and problems in pharmaceutical field have been researched in recent years. In addition, unresolved issues include toxic mechanisms, pharmacokinetics, novel pharmaceutical researches and relationship between residues and intestinal environment, which are still being explored and excavate before achieving integration into clinical practice.

Berberine: A Plant-derived Alkaloid with Therapeutic Potential to Combat Alzheimer's disease

Berberine (a protoberberine isoquinoline alkaloid) has shown promising pharmacological activities, including analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-hyperlipidemic, cardioprotective, memory enhancement, antidepressant, antioxidant, anti-nociceptive, antimicrobial, anti- HIV and cholesterol-lowering effects. It is used in the treatment of the neurodegenerative disorder. It has strong evidence to serve as a potent phytoconstituent in the treatment of various neurodegenerative disorders such as AD. It limits the extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. It has also lipid-glucose lowering ability, hence can be used as a protective agent in atherosclerosis and AD. However, more detailed investigations along with safety assessment of berberine are warranted to clarify its role in limiting various risk factors and AD-related pathologies. This review highlights the pharmacological basis to control oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and protective effect of berberine in AD, which will benefit to the biological scientists in understanding and exploring the new vistas of berberine in combating Alzheimer's disease.

Co-aminobenzamid@Al-SBA-15: a favorable catalyst in synthesis of 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones

The novel hybrid Co-aminobenzamid@Al-SBA-15 was synthesized as a modified mesoporous catalyst. To achieve this aim, the obtained materials were investigated by various techniques including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption-desorption, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to examine the functional groups, crystallinity, surface area, morphology, particle size distribution and amounts of functional groups, respectively. Co-aminobenzamid@Al-SBA-15 exhibits excellent catalytic activity for the synthesis of 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones under mild reaction conditions. The heterogeneous catalyst showed good recyclability and can be reused for ten consecutive cycles without significant loss of its catalytic activity.

A promising antitumor activity of evodiamine incorporated in hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin: pro-apoptotic activity in human hepatoma HepG2 cells

BACKGROUND

Evodiamine has gained wide interests recently because of its antitumor activities. However, a superior bioavailability is required to achieve better efficacy due to its poor water solubility. The aim of this study was to enhance the evodiamine's aqueous solubility by preparing evodiamine/hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (EVO/HP-β-CD) inclusion complex, which is incorporated evodiamine into HP-β-CD, and compare the antitumor activities before and after inclusion with HP-β-CD in human hepatoma HepG2 cells.

RESULTS

The EVO/HP-β-CD inclusion complexes were prepared by the kneading method and structurally characterized. P-glycoprotein ATPase assays firstly demonstrated that evodiamine was a substrate of P-glycoprotein, while HP-β-CD and EVO/HP-β-CD inclusion complexes inhibited P-glycoprotein by blocking P-glycoprotein ATPase activity. The EVO/HP-β-CD inclusion complexes may be a promising anticancer drug candidate without drug resistance. After given evodiamine or EVO/HP-β-CD inclusion complexes intervention, cell viability evaluation indicated that the half inhibition concentration of evodiamine and EVO/HP-β-CD inclusion complexes on HepG2 cells was 8.516 and 0.977 μM, respectively. The caspase-3 enzyme activity analysis and Annexin V/PI double-staining revealed that EVO/HP-β-CD inclusion complexes possessed better antitumor activities than evodiamine. Additionally, Hoechst 33258 staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling assay demonstrated that EVO/HP-β-CD inclusion complexes induced HepG2 cell apoptosis more effectively than evodiamine.

CONCLUSIONS

The improved antitumor activities of evodiamine were attributed to the enhanced solubility and P-glycoprotein inhibition by HP-β-CD. These results are promising for the drug administration of EVO/HP-β-CD inclusion complexes to enhance the bioavailability of evodiamine in vivo.

Evodiamine and Its Role in Chronic Diseases

Evodiamine (EVO) is a major alkaloid compound extracted from the dry unripened fruit Evodiae fructus (Evodia rutaecarpa Benth., Rutaceae). EVO has a variety of pharmacological activities, such as anti-obesity, anti-allergenic, analgesic, anti-tumor, anti-ulcerogenic, and neuroprotective activities. EVO has varying efficacies in animal models and humans. Here, the physicochemical properties of EVO are presented, and the EVO's functions and mechanisms of action in various chronic diseases are reviewed. EVO is worth exploring in more depth in the future for its potential use in various chronic diseases.

Atrial Fibrillation Due to Over The Counter Stimulant Drugs in A Young Adult

The usage of over the counter stimulant drugs and energy drinks is increasing on a day to day basis for various purposes including work, sports and leisure among individuals in all age groups. Multiple formulations are available in the market including pills, liquid capsules and drinks in various flavours. Many of them contain excessively high doses of caffeine along with a variety of stimulant compounds that have multiple effects in different parts of the human body. The consumption of such high amounts of caffeine itself has shown to have caused cardiac arrhythmias in healthy individuals and when it is mixed with a number of stimulant compounds can be associated with a number of adverse effects in the human body. However, the awareness of such life threatening complications associated with these energy drinks does not exist among people who consume it on a day to day basis. We report a case of 25-year-old Caucasian male with no significant past medical history for cardiac diseases, no risk factors for atrial fibrillation, non smoker, occasional alcohol drinker who presents with new onset atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response due to the consumption of over the counter stimulant energy capsule which had high doses of caffeine.

Atrial Fibrillation Due to Over The Counter Stimulant Drugs in A Young Adult

The usage of over the counter stimulant drugs and energy drinks is increasing on a day to day basis for various purposes including work, sports and leisure among individuals in all age groups. Multiple formulations are available in the market including pills, liquid capsules and drinks in various flavours. Many of them contain excessively high doses of caffeine along with a variety of stimulant compounds that have multiple effects in different parts of the human body. The consumption of such high amounts of caffeine itself has shown to have caused cardiac arrhythmias in healthy individuals and when it is mixed with a number of stimulant compounds can be associated with a number of adverse effects in the human body. However, the awareness of such life threatening complications associated with these energy drinks does not exist among people who consume it on a day to day basis. We report a case of 25-year-old Caucasian male with no significant past medical history for cardiac diseases, no risk factors for atrial fibrillation, non smoker, occasional alcohol drinker who presents with new onset atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response due to the consumption of over the counter stimulant energy capsule which had high doses of caffeine.

Pharmacogenomics and herb-drug interactions: merge of future and tradition

The worldwide using of herb products and the increasing potential herb-drug interaction issue has raised enthusiasm on discovering the underlying mechanisms. Previous review indicated that the interactions may be mediated by metabolism enzymes and transporters in pharmacokinetic pathways. On the other hand, an increasing number of studies found that genetic variations showed some influence on herb-drug interaction effects whereas these genetic factors did not draw much attention in history. We highlight that pharmacogenomics may involve the pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic pathways to affect herb-drug interaction. We are here to make an updated review focused on some common herb-drug interactions in association with genetic variations, with the aim to help safe use of herbal medicines in different individuals in the clinic.

Antidepressant-like effect of evodiamine on chronic unpredictable mild stress rats

Evodiamine is a major alkaloid compound extracted from the dry unripened fruit Evodia fructus (Evodia rutaecarpa Benth., Rutaceae), which has a variety of pharmacological activities. The present study aims to determine the antidepressant-like effect of evodiamine in a rat model of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). We identified that evodiamine could reverse the following CUMS-induced behavioural deficits and biochemical changes in rats: the decreases of sucrose preference, number of crossings, 5-HT and NA levels, as well as the increase of immobility time. Evodiamine treatments also ameliorated the corticosterone hypersecretion induced by CUMS. Furthermore, we found that evodiamine was able to up-regulate the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and phosphorylated tropomyosin-related kinase B (pTrkB) without altering TrkB. This study suggests potential antidepressant-like effect of evodiamine on CUMS rats, and its underlying mechanisms can be potentially linked to their modulating effects on the monoamine transmitters and BDNF-TrkB signaling in the hippocampus.

Metformin and berberine prevent olanzapine-induced weight gain in rats

Olanzapine is a first line medication for the treatment of schizophrenia, but it is also one of the atypical antipsychotics carrying the highest risk of weight gain. Metformin was reported to produce significant attenuation of antipsychotic-induced weight gain in patients, while the study of preventing olanzapine-induced weight gain in an animal model is absent. Berberine, an herbal alkaloid, was shown in our previous studies to prevent fat accumulation in vitro and in vivo. Utilizing a well-replicated rat model of olanzapine-induced weight gain, here we demonstrated that two weeks of metformin or berberine treatment significantly prevented the olanzapine-induced weight gain and white fat accumulation. Neither metformin nor berberine treatment demonstrated a significant inhibition of olanzapine-increased food intake. But interestingly, a significant loss of brown adipose tissue caused by olanzapine treatment was prevented by the addition of metformin or berberine. Our gene expression analysis also demonstrated that the weight gain prevention efficacy of metformin or berberine treatment was associated with changes in the expression of multiple key genes controlling energy expenditure. This study not only demonstrates a significant preventive efficacy of metformin and berberine treatment on olanzapine-induced weight gain in rats, but also suggests a potential mechanism of action for preventing olanzapine-reduced energy expenditure.

Inhibition of organic cation transporter 2 and 3 may be involved in the mechanism of the antidepressant-like action of berberine

Organic cation transporter 2 (OCT2) and 3 (OCT3) are low-affinity, high-capacity transporters (uptake-2) expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) and other major organs. Proven to be essential components in the CNS functions, OCT2 and OCT3 are suggested as potential targets of antidepressant therapeutics recently. Berberine, an active constituent derived from many medicinal plants, such as Coptis chinensis, has been reported to possess antidepressant-like action in the tail suspension test and forced swim test with elevated serotonin/norepinephrine/dopamine (5-HT/NE/DA) level in mouse brain; however the mechanism has not been elucidated. In consideration of the relation between OCT2/3 and antidepressant action, and the characteristic of berberine as an organic cation, we investigated the potential involvement of OCT2 and OCT3 in the antidepressant-like action of berberine in the present study. The results in mouse brain synaptosomes demonstrated that uptake-2 inhibition might play a notable role in enhanced serotonergic and noradrenergic effects induced by berberine. The inhibitory study in transfected MDCK cells displayed that berberine is a potent inhibitor of human OCT2 and OCT3, and its IC50 values for inhibition of transporter-mediated 5-HT/NE uptake are between 0.1 and 1μM. In addition, berberine was identified as a substrate of hOCT2 and hOCT3. In conclusion, berberine is a substrate and an inhibitor of hOCT2 and hOCT3, and its inhibition on OCT2- and OCT3-mediated 5-HT and NE uptake may contribute to the enhanced monoamine neurotransmission in mouse brain. It was deduced that the inhibition of OCT2 and OCT3 probably be implicated in the mechanism of antidepressant-like action.

Antidepressant-like effect of ethanol extract from Zuojin Pill, containing two herbal drugs of Rhizoma Coptidis and Fructus Evodiae, is explained by modulating the monoaminergic neurotransmitter system in mice

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Zuojin Pill (ZJP), a traditional Chinese medicinal decoction, contains two herbal drugs: Coptis chinensis Franch. and Evodia rutaecarpa (Juss.) Benth. in the ratio of 6:1 (w/w). Previous pharmacological studies have shown that two herbs in ZJP have the antagonistic effects on catecholamine secretion in bovine adrenal medullary cells. Furthermore, the alkaloids from the two herbs in ZJP may provide a protective effect for depression in individuals with a low expressing 5-HTT allele by increasing receptor concentration in serotonergic neurons. However, antidepressant effect has not been reported before and has not been fully clarified.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The present study aimed to investigate the antidepressant potential of ethanol extract from ZJP and its monoaminergic mechanism in mice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Seven alkaloids were determined from the ethanol extract of ZJP using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with the gradient mobile phase. The ethanol extract from ZJP was used to evaluate the antidepressant potential in mice. Mouse models of depression including the tail suspension test (TST) and the forced swim test (FST) were used to evaluate the effects of the ethanol extract from ZJP. A possible mechanism was explored in the tests of antagonism of reserpine-induced ptosis and hypothermia, and 5-HTP induced head twitch response in mice. The contents of monoamine neurotransmitters including norepinephrine (NE), serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT) in hippocampus of mice and NE, 5-HT, dopamine (DA) in striatum of mice were determined by HPLC system with Electrochemical Detector (ECD).

RESULTS

The results showed that intragastric administration of the ethanol extract from ZJP (5, 10, 20mg/kg) or fluoxetine (7.5mg/kg) significantly reduced the duration of immobility in TST and FST. However, the effect was not dose-dependent. Ethanol extract from ZJP (5, 10, 20mg/kg) also increased the accumulative number of the 5-HTP-induced head twitch response in mice. The mice were treated with the ethanol extract from ZJP (5, 10, 20mg/kg) or fluoxetine (7.5mg/kg), which could antagonize reserpine-induced ptosis and hypothermia, moreover, both of them could elevate the contents of NE, 5-HT in hippocampus as well as NE, 5-HT, DA in striatum significantly.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that the ethanol extract from ZJP produced antidepressant-like effect and the possible mechanism, at least in part, is via the central monoaminergic neurotransmitter system and 5-HT plays a major role.

Pharmacological actions of multi-target-directed evodiamine

Evodiamine, a naturally occurring indole alkaloid, is one of the main bioactive ingredients of Evodiae fructus. With respect to the pharmacological actions of evodiamine, more attention has been paid to beneficial effects in insults involving cancer, obesity, nociception, inflammation, cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimer's disease, infectious diseases and themoregulative effects. evodiamine has evolved a superior ability to bind various proteins, so we also argue that it is good starting point for multi-target drugs. This review is primarily addressed to the description of the recent advances in the biological activity studies of evodiamine, with a focus on pharmacological mechanism. The present review also includes the pharmacokinetics and the detailed exploration of target-binding properties of evodiamine in an attempt to provide a direction for further multi-target drug design.

Modulation of human serotonin transporter expression by 5-HTTLPR in colon cells

Serotonin (5-HT) is a monoamine neurotransmitter and plays important roles in several of the human body's systems. Known as a primary target for psychoactive drug development, the 5-HT transporter (5-HTT, SERT) plays a critical role in the regulation of serotonergic function by reuptaking 5-HT. The allelic variation of 5-HTT expression is caused by functional gene promoter polymorphism with two principal variant alleles, 5-HTT gene-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR). It has been demonstrated that 5-HTTLPR is associated with numerous neuropsychiatric disorders. The functional roles of 5-HTTLPR have been reported in human choriocarcinoma (JAR), lymphoblast and raphe cells. To date, the significance of 5-HTTLPR in gastrointestinal tract-derived cells has never been elucidated. Thus, the impact of 5-HTTLPR on 5-HTT transcription was studied in SW480 human colon carcinoma cells, which were shown to express 5-HTT. We found 42-bp fragment in long (L) allele as compared to short (S) allele, and this allelic difference resulted in 2-fold higher transcriptional efficiency of L allele (P < 0.05) as demonstrated using a functional reporter gene assay. Nevertheless, the transcriptional effect of estrogen and glucocorticoid on 5-HTT expression via 5-HTTLPR was not found in this cell line. Our study was the first to demonstrate the molecular role of this allelic variation in gastrointestinal tract cells.