An antidepressant effect of Sho-ju-sen, a Japanese herbal medicine, assessed by learned helplessness model in mice

• Published in: Phytotherapy research Vol. 18; no. 2; pp. 173 - 176
• Main Authors: Kuribara, Hisashi, Tomioka, Hideo, Takahashi, Reiko, Onozato, Kazumi, Murohashi, Naomi, Numajiri, Tomomi, Iwata, Hisato, Koya, Sakuji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-02-2004; Wiley
• Subjects: Animals; antidepressant effect; Antidepressive Agents - administration & dosage; Antidepressive Agents - pharmacology; Antidepressive Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; discrete shuttle avoidance; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - administration & dosage; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - pharmacology; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - therapeutic use; General pharmacology; Helplessness, Learned; Japanese herbal medicine; learned helplessness; Male; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Panax; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; Pinus; Plant Extracts - administration & dosage; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Plant Leaves; Plants, Medicinal; Sasa; Sho-ju-sen; Asia; Japan; Pharmacognosy; Psychotropic; Rodentia; discrete shuttle avoidance; Instrumental conditioning; Sho-ju-sen; Medicinal plant; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Acquisition process; Japanese herbal medicine; Mouse; antidepressant effect; Animal; learned helplessness; Plant origin; Antidepressant agent; Behavior; Avoidance
• ISSN: 0951-418X; 1099-1573
• DOI: 10.1002/ptr.1412

The antidepressant effect of Sho‐ju‐sen, a Japanese herbal medicine composed of extracts of three herbs; kumazasa leaf (Sasa Kurinensis Makino et Sibata), Japanese red pine leaf (Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc) and ginseng radix (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer), was assessed using a learned helplessness model in mice. The learned helplessness was produced by presenting 120 unavoidable/inescapable shocks for 3 days to the mouse in a shuttle box, and the avoidance training was carried out on day 4. Compared with the control group given tap water, free consumption of Sho‐ju‐sen (1%, 3% and 10%) for 21 days resulted in a significant amelioration of the response rate at 1% and 3%, and both the response rate and % avoidance at 10%. Although Sho‐ju‐sen (10%) caused no significant effect following the 7‐day intake, it ameliorated the response rate following the 14‐day intake. The extract of Japanese red pine leaf, but not kumazasa leaf or ginseng radix, mildly improved the response rate. Learned helplessness was significantly and dose‐dependently reduced by imipramine (10 and 30 mg/kg i.p.), while only mildly by diazepam (1 mg/kg p.o.). These results suggest that a long‐term consumption of Sho‐ju‐sen is effective for the amelioration of depression, and the effectiveness is derived mainly from the extract of Japanese red pine leaf. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.