Gongjin-Dan Enhances Hippocampal Memory in a Mouse Model of Scopolamine-Induced Amnesia.

We evaluated the neuropharmacological effects of Gongjin-Dan (GJD) on the memory impairment caused by scopolamine injection. BALB/c mice were orally treated with GJD (100, 200, or 400 mg/kg, daily) or tacrine (THA, 10 mg/kg) for 10 days, and scopolamine (2 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally. The radial arm maze and passive avoidance tests were performed to evaluate the animal's learning and memory. Scopolamine increased the task completing time, the number of total errors (reference and working memory error) in the radial arm maze task, and the latency time in the passive avoidance test, which were significantly ameliorated by treatment with GJD. The GJD treatment also attenuated the scopolamine-induced hyperactivation of acetylcholinesterase activity, and suppression of the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF) and their receptors in the hippocampus. These effects of GJD were supported by both the doublecortin (DCX)-positive staining and Nissl staining, which were used to measure hippocampal neurogenesis and atrophy, respectively. These findings strongly suggest that GJD exerts a potent anti-amnesic effect, and its underlying mechanism might involve the modulation of cholinergic activity.

Systematic Review of Adverse Effects from Herbal Drugs Reported in Randomized Controlled Trials.

Herbal drugs have become a popular form of healthcare, raising concerns about their safety. This study aimed to characterize the adverse effects of herbal drugs through a systematic review of results reported in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Using eight electronic databases including PubMed, the Cochrane library and six Korean medical databases, the frequency of reported toxicity was recorded based on drug composition and indication. Among 4957 potentially relevant articles, 242 papers comprised of 244 studies met our inclusion criteria; these included 111 studies of a single herb and 133 of multiple herbs. These studies accounted for a total 15 441 participants (male = 5590; female = 9851; 7383 for single and 8058 for multiple herb studies). There were 480 cases (3.1%) of adverse events (344 for single, 136 for multiple herb studies; p < 0.01). A total of 259 cases reported blood test abnormalities, including five cases of abnormality in hepatic functional enzymes. The most frequently reported adverse event was digestive symptoms (44.3%), followed by nervous system symptoms (17.3%) and behaviors such as loss of appetite (16.3%). This is the first systematic review of adverse effects of herbal drugs among clinical studies, and the results indicate that herbal drugs are relatively safe. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The traditional drug Gongjin-Dan ameliorates chronic fatigue in a forced-stress mouse exercise model.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Gongjin-Dan is a representative traditional Oriental medicine herbal drug that has been used to treat chronic fatigue symptoms for several hundred years. We evaluated the anti-fatigue effects of Gongjin-Dan and the underlying mechanisms in a chronic forced exercise mouse model. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Balb/C male mice underwent an extreme treadmill-based running stress (1-h, 5 days/week), and daily oral administration of distilled water, Gongjin-Dan (100, 200, or 400 mg/kg), or ascorbic acid (100 mg/kg) for 28 days. The anti-fatigue effects of Gongjin-Dan were evaluated with behavioral tests (exercise tolerance and swimming tests), and the corresponding mechanisms were investigated based on oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokine and stress hormone levels in skeletal muscle, sera, and brain tissue. RESULTS: Gongjin-Dan significantly increased exercise tolerance and latency times but reduced the number of electric shocks and immobilization time on the treadmill running and swimming tests, compared with the control group. Gongjin-Dan also significantly ameliorated alterations in oxidative stress-related biomarkers (reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde), inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6, and interferon-γ) and glycogen and L-lactate levels in skeletal muscle, compared with those in the control group. Moreover, Gongjin-Dan considerably normalized the forced running stress-induced changes in serum corticosterone and adrenaline levels, as well as brain serotonin level. These antioxidant and anti-stress effects of Gongjin-Dan were supported by the results of Western blotting (4-hydroxynonenal and heme oxygenase-1) and the gene expression levels (serotonin receptor and serotonin transporter). CONCLUSION: These results support the clinical relevance of Gongjin-Dan regarding anti-chronic fatigue properties. The underlying mechanisms involve attenuation of oxidative and inflammatory reactions in muscle and regulation of the stress response through the hypothalmo-pituitary-adrenal axis.