Brief Reports
Copyright ©2005 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Mar 7, 2005; 11(9): 1373-1377
Published online Mar 7, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i9.1373
Protective effect of Radix Acanthopanacis Senticosi capsule on colon of rat depression model
Gao-Hua Wang, Hai-Yan Dong, Wei-Guo Dong, Xiao-Ping Wang, He-Sheng Luo, Jie-Ping Yu
Gao-Hua Wang, Xiao-Ping Wang, Department of Mental Health Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, 238 Jiefang Road, Wuhan 430060, Hubei Province, China
Hai-Yan Dong, Wei-Guo Dong, He-Sheng Luo, Jie-Ping Yu, Department of Gastroenterology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, 238 Jiefang Road, Wuhan 430060, Hubei Province, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the Stanley Medical Research Institute of America, No. 02I-002
Correspondence to: Professor Wei-Guo Dong, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, 238 Jiefang Road, Wuhan 430060, Hubei Province, China. dongwg@public.wh.hb.cn
Telephone: +86-27-88054511 Fax: +86-27-88041919-6448
Received: April 4, 2004
Revised: April 6, 2004
Accepted: May 24, 2004
Published online: March 7, 2005
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the abnormity of rat colon caused by depression and the ameliorative effects of Radix Acanthopanacis Senticosi (RAS) capsule on colon and their mechanisms in rat depression model.

METHODS: Chronic stress-induced model of depression of Wistar rats was produced. The experimental animals were randomly divided into model control, 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) therapy group and three RAS capsule therapy groups. These five groups were intracolonically treated daily (8:00 a.m.) for 2 wk with normal saline, 5-ASA (100 mg/kg) and RAS capsule at the doses of 300, 600 and 900 mg/kg, respectively. A normal control group of rats was also included in the study. Colonic activities of nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were determined by ultraviolet spectrophotometry. The expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in colonic tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS: Enhanced colon inflammatory response and oxidative stress were observed in the chronic stress-induced rat depression model, which manifested as the significant increase of MDA, iNOS and NO levels, as well as the expressions of COX-2 in the colon tissue, but the colonic SOD activity was significantly decreased compared with the normal control (MDA: 10.34±2.77 vs 2.55±0.70; iNOS: 1.11±0.44 vs 0.25±0.16; COX-2: 53.26±8.16 vs 4.87±1.65; NO: 11.28±5.66 vs 4.76±1.55; SOD: 53.39±11.15 vs 84.45±22.31; P<0.01). However, these parameters were significantly ameliorated in rats treated locally with RAS capsule at the doses of 300, 600 and 900 mg/kg (iNOS: 0.65±0.31, 0.58±0.22 and 0.64±0.33; NO: 5.99±2.73, 6.87±1.96 and 6.50±1.58; MDA: 2.92±0.75, 3.19±1.08 and 3.26±1.24; SOD: 70.81±12.36, 73.30±15.30 and 69.09±11.03, respectively). The expressions of COX-2 in the colon were significantly ameliorated (28.83±9.48 and 27.04±9.56, respectively) when RAS capsule was administered at the doses of 600 and 900 mg/kg.

CONCLUSION: Administration of RAS capsule intracolonically may have significant therapeutic effects on the colon of rat depression model, which are probably due to its antioxidative action and inhibition of arachidonic acid metabolism.

Keywords: RAS capsule; Arachidonic acid metabolism