Study On The Function Regulation Of HPA Axis In Old Depression Rats With Bushen Shugan Prescription

Objective:To observe the effects of three prescriptions of Bushen(Zuogui pill)and Shugan(Chaihu Shugan powder)and combination of Bushen and Shugan on the changes of HPA axis and its related tissue morphology in rats with natural senile depression model,to explore the mechanism of senile depression and the function mechanism of Bushen Shugan prescription.Method:78 male SD rats were randomly divided into six groups,13 in each group,namely blank control group,depressive model group,Western Medicine Group,Bushen prescription Group,Shugan prescription Group and Bushen Shugan prescription Group.Animal models were modeled for 3 weeks with mild and chronic unpredictable stress,the modelling method includes the following seven kinds of stress methods:① fasting but water 24h,② forbidden water but eat 24h,③ clip tail(every 1min),④ merged squirrel cage,⑤ tilt rat cage 45°,⑥ cage with water soaked cushion material,⑦ day and night upside down.The rats from the Western medicine group,Bushen prescription Group,Shugan prescription Group and Bushen Shugan prescription group were given daily drug perfusion,and the rats in the blank control group and the Depression model-group were given the same dosage of saline perfusion.During the modeling period,the measurement of rat body weight and the evaluation of the behavioral score of the open field test were performed weekly,and the content of CRH,ACTH and CORT in rats were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The morphology of the hypothalamus,pituitary and adrenal cortex in rats were observed by light microscope.The expression of CRHmRNA of the hypothalamus and pituitary ACTHmRNA was detected by qRT-PCR.Results:1.After the experimental modeling,the Depression model group of rats showed more and more depressed,activities reduced,hair color messy,unresponsive,stool sparse,weight loss,OFT experimental behavioral score reduction.2.Pathological changes of rat hypothalamus,pituitary and adrenal cortex showed that the morphological injury of tissue cells of rats in depressive model group showed slight damage to the morphology of tissue cells in Western medicine Group,Bushen prescription Group,Shugan prescription Group and Bushen Shugan prescription Group.3.Compared with the blank control group,the content of CRH,ACTH and CORT in the depressive model group increased significantly(P<0.05);compared with the depressive model group,Bushen prescription Group,Shugan prescription Group and Bushen Shugan prescription Group and the Western Medicine Group Rats Serum CRH,ACTH and CORT was significantly decreased(P<0.05);in four groups,compared with Western medicine group,the contents of CRH,ACTH and CORT in Bushen prescription Group,Shugan prescription Group were elevated(P<0.05),There was no significant difference in the content of Bushen Shugan prescription Group Rats serum CRH,ACTH and CORT(P>0.05),and the content of CRH and CORT in rats with Bushen Shugan Group was lower than that of Bushen prescription and Shugan prescription Group(P<0.05).4.The expression of hypothalamus CRHmRNA and pituitary CTHmRNA in rats in depression model group was increased compared with that in blank control group(P<0.05).Compared with depressive model group,the expression of CRHmRNA and pituitary ACTHmRNA was reduced in Bushen prescription Group,Shugan prescription Group,Bushen Shugan prescription Group and Western Medicine group rats(P<0.01);and compared with Western medicine group,Increased expression of pituitary ACTHmRNA in rats with Bushen prescription and Shugan Group(P<0.05),There was no significant difference in the expression of pituitary ACTHmRNA in rats with Bushen Shugan prescription Group(P>0.05),and the expression of hypothalamic CRHmRNA increased in Bushen prescription Group(P<0.05),There was no significant difference in the expression of hypothalamic CRHmRNA in the group of Shugan,Bushen Shugan(P>0.05),The expression of hypothalamic CRHmRNA and pituitary ACTHmRNA in rats with Bushen Shugan prescription Group was more significant than that of Bushen prescription Group and Shugan prescription Group(P<0.05).Conclusion:1.In the senile depressive model rats,the HPA axis was hyperactive,and the hypothalamus,pituitary and adrenal cortex had pathological changes.2.Bushen prescription,Shugan prescription and Bushen Shugan prescription can reduce the function of HPA axis in senile depressive model rats,and can improve the pathological changes of hypothalamus,pituitary and adrenal cortex,etc.,reducing the function of HPA axis by Bushen Shugan prescription and improving the pathological changes of the hypothalamus pituitary and adrenal cortex,it is better than those of Bushen prescription and Shugan prescription.3.HPA axis hyperactivity may be an important mechanism of Late life depression,and the aging of organism is an important factor inducing the onset of Late life depression,and it is a more effective way to treat senile depression with active anti-aging and antidepressant.