Effect of Xiaoyaosan on sexual behavior and inflammatory factors of rat with depression

Objective To study the effects of Xiaoyaosan on sexual behavior and inflammatory factors of rat with depression. Methods The establishing depressive rat models of chronic mild unpredictable stress were established. The rats were randomly divided into model group and Xiaoyaosan group, 15 in each group. The Xiaoyaosan group was given 4.612 5 g/(kg•d) Xiaoyaosan, the blank group and the model group were intragastrically administered with normal saline once daily. After 4 weeks of oral administration, mount frequency and perineal licking numbers to female rats in each experimental group were observed by sexual behavior experiment, and the spleen index and thymus index were calculated. The serum DA, IL-1β, IL-6 levels were tested by Elisa. Results Compared with the normal group, the mount frequency (4.42 ± 3.91 vs. 11.58 ± 6.54), perineal licking numbers (3.53 ± 3.29 vs. 16.36 ± 10.68) and serum DA levels (14.14 ± 0.71 pg/ml vs. 17.44 ± 4.06 pg/ml) in the model group significantly decreased (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the thymus index (0.012 4 ± 0.001 8 vs. 0.009 3 ± 0.001 7), serum IL-1β (39.45 ± 11.98 pg/ml vs. 28.62 ± 6.61 pg/ml), IL-6 levels (9.74 ± 1.49 pg/ml vs. 6.40 ± 0.66 pg/ml) significantly increased (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the contents of serum DA in Xiaoyaosan group (15.90 ± 1.24 pg/ml vs. 14.14 ± 0.71 pg/ml) increased significantly (P<0.01), and the thymus index (0.009 9 ± 0.001 3 vs. 0.012 4 ± 0.001 8) and IL-6 levels (8.32 ± 0.39 pg/ml vs. 9.74 ± 1.49 pg/ml) decreased significantly (P<0.05). Conclusions The Xiaoyaosan had a therapeutic effect on immune dysfunction and increases the expression of serum dopamine in depressive rats, which may be one of the mechanisms of its anti-depression. Key words: Xiao Yao San; Chronic mild unpredictable stress; Depression; Interleukin-6; Interleukin-1beta; Dopamine; Rats