The correlation between neurosteroids and neurotransmitters with liver yang rising and liver qi stagnation types of premenstrual syndrome.

BACKGROUND: To investigate neural-reproductive hormonal basis of liver yang rising (LYR), liver qi stagnation (LQS) premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and to develop standardized diagnostic criteria for PMS. METHODS: HPLC, HPLC-MC, ELISA and radioimmunoassay were used to compare levels of serum hormones, plasma neurotransmitters and neurosteroids between LYR PMS patients, LQS PMS patients and healthy controls (30 subjects in each group). RESULTS: Of the measures, all three groups exhibited no significant differences during the follicular phase. In contrast, during the luteal phase, LYR PMS testosterone levels tended to be higher than controls, while dopamine and 5-HT of the LYR PMS group were significantly higher. Conversely, γ-aminobutyric acid in the LYR PMS group was significantly lower than controls (p < 0.05). On the other hand, epinephrine and norepinephrine levels in both PMS groups were significantly higher than controls (p < 0.05), while pregnenolone and allopregnanolone of LYR and LQS groups were significantly lower than controls, with dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) being significantly higher than controls (p < 0.05). The ratios of DHEA/allopregnanolone and DHEA/pregnenolone of both PMS groups were significantly higher than the control group, with the LYR PMS group ratios being significantly higher than in the LQS PMS group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The decrease in pregnenolone and allopregnenolone, increase in DHEA, DHEA/allopregnanolone and DHEA/pregnenolone during the luteal phase may be one of the biological bases for anger in LYR PMS patients and depression in LQS PMS patients.

Scutellaria flavonoid supplementation reverses ageing-related cognitive impairment and neuronal changes in aged rats.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of flavonoid, isolated from aerial parts of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (SSF), on memory impairment, neuronal damage, free radicals and energy metabolite disorders in aged rats. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Approximately 25-month-old rats were used to establish the ageing model. The cognition of the rats was determined using the Morris water maze, neuronal morphology was observed by light/electron microscope, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase were measured by spectrophotometry. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: In the Morris water maze task, the aged rats always took longer latency to find the hidden platform and spent less time swimming in the target quadrant than those of young control rats. The light/electron microscopic observations found significant neuropathological changes in the aged rats' brain. In addition, the production of MDA and the activity of SOD, LDH and Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of the aged rats showed critical abnormal changes. However, pre-treatment of the aged rats with SSF (35-140 mg kg(-1)) for 16-21 days dramatically improved cognitive dysfunction, neuropathological changes and biochemical abnormalities. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the beneficial effects of SSF on memory impairment and neuronal damage in aged rats may be important for the treatment of senile dementia and for delaying the ageing processes.

Effects of amelioration of total flavonoids from stems and leaves of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi on cognitive deficits, neuronal damage and free radicals disorder induced by cerebral ischemia in rats.

Previous studies reported that the total flavonoids from the stems and leaves of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (TFSS) could enhance and improve learning and memory abilities in experimental animals, and reduce the neuronal pathologic alterations induced by some reagents in mice. The present study examined whether TFSS can improve memory dysfunction, neuronal damage, and abnormal free radicals induced by permanent cerebral ischemia in rats. The permanent cerebral ischemic model in rats was produced by bilateral ligation of the common carotid arteries. The influence of permanent cerebral ischemia on learning and memory was determined in the Morris water maze. The neuronal damage in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex was assessed by the neuronal morphologic observations. The contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO), and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex were measured using thiobarbituric acid, nitrate reductase, xanthine-xanthine oxidase, and ammonium molybdate spectrophotometric methods, respectively. In learning and memory performance tests, cerebral ischemic rats always required a longer latency time to find the hidden platform and spent a shorter time in the target quadrant in the Morris water maze. TFSS 17.5-70 mg.kg(-1) daily orally administered to ischemic rats for 20 d, from day 16-35 after operation differently reduced the prolonged latency and increased swimming time spent in the target quadrant. In neuronal morphologic observations, daily oral TFSS 17.5-70 mg.kg(-1) for 21 d, from day 16-36 after operation markedly inhibited the ischemia-induced neuronal damage. In addition, the increased contents of MDA and NO, and SOD activity, and the decreased activity of CAT in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex induced by cerebral ischemia were differently reversed. The reference drug piracetam (140 mg.kg(-1) per day for 20-21 d) similarly improved impaired memory and neuronal damage but had no significant effects on free radicals in ligated rats. TFSS can improve memory deficits and neuronal damage in rats after permanent cerebral ischemia, which may be beneficial in the treatment of cerebrovascular dementia.

Prevention of oxidative injury by flavonoids from stems and leaves of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi in PC12 cells.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important mediators in a number of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). The neuroprotective effects of flavonoids from the stems and leaves of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (SSF) against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced rat pheochromocytoma line PC12 injury were evaluated by cell lesion, free radicals and ATPase disorders. Following a 30 min exposure of the cells to H2O2 (100 microm), a marked decrease in cell survival and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Na+-K+-ATPase as well as an increase of malondialdehyde (MDA) production and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release were observed. Pretreatment of the cells with SSF (18-76 microg/mL) prior to H2O2 exposure notably elevated the cell survival and activity of SOD and Na+-K+-ATPase, and lowered the MDA level and LDH release. Neuroprotection by SSF was also observed in animal models. The present results indicated that SSF exerts neuroprotective effects against H2O2 toxicity, which might be of importance and might contribute to its clinical efficacy for the treatment of neurodegenerative disease.