Previously, we found that the ancient Chinese remedy of Suanzaorentang was a promising anxiolytic drug (Chen and Hsieh, 1985; Chen and Hsieh, 1985a). We also found that Suanzaorentang decreased the turnover rate of central monoamines and central catecholaminergic activity(Hsieh, et al., 1986). In this study, we found that (1) 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) induced decrease in locomotor activity was significantly antagonized by Suanzaorentang, (2)p-chlorophenylalanine (p-CPA) induced increase in locomotor activity was significantly inhibitcd by Suanzaorentang, (3) Suanzaorentang had no significant effects on baclofen, muscimol, aminooxyacetic acid (AOAA) and thiosemicubazide induced changes in locomotor activity, (4) Suanzaorentang signihcantly decreased vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) in striatum and hippocampus, homovanilic acid (HVA) in hippocampus and 5-hydroxyindol acetic acid (5-HIAA) in stria-tum md hypothalamus, (5) Suanzaorentang significantly reversed the α-methyltyrosine (α-MT) produced decrease in DA concentrations in striatum and hippocampus, and (6) Suanzaorentang significantly reversed the p-CPA produced decrease in 5-HT concentrations on amygdala. Thcse facts implied that Suanzaorentang might decrease the serotonergic activity but have no significant effect on GABAergic activity. The main locus of action might be in the limbic system. 中國古方酸棗仁湯是一種很有效的抗焦慮劑，著者等曾探討其作用機轉，顯示酸棗仁湯能降低中樞單胺之轉換速率及兒茶胺之活性。本研究結果發現酸棗仁湯(1)能顯著地拮抗由5-HIP所誘發引起之運動量抑制現象。(2)能顯著地抑制由p-CPA所誘發引起之運動量興奮現象。(3)對baclofen, muscimol, AOAA和thiosemicarbazide等所誘發引起運動量之影響，在統計上無顯著的意義。(4)能顯著地降低VMA在腦部striatum及hippocampus處之濃度，HVA在腦部hippocampus處之濃度及5-HIAA在腦部striatum及hypotltalamus處之濃度。(5)腦部striatum及hippocampus處由α-MT所產生DA濃度的降低，酸棗仁湯能顯著地將其反轉。(6)腦部amygdala處由p-CPA所產生5-HT濃度的降低，酸棗仁湯能顯著地將其反轉。由以上實驗結果顯示，酸棗仁湯能夠影響serotonergic的活性，但對GABAergic的活性並無顯著的影響，且其主要的作用位置可能是在中樞邊緣葉系統。
關聯:
嘉南學報 12：p.A43-A48 轉載 Proc. Natl. Sci. Counc. B. ROC 10(4) : p.263-268 (1986)
