Effect of yokukansan, a traditional Japanese medicine, on social and aggressive behaviour of para-chloroamphetamine-injected rats

Abstract

These results suggest that yokukansan might have two different effects: an acute effect on social behaviour and a chronic effect on aggressive behaviour. One of the mechanisms of these effects of yokukansan may be related to the agonistic effect on 5-HT1A receptors.

Partial agonistic effect of yokukansan on human recombinant serotonin 1A receptors expressed in the membranes of Chinese hamster ovary cells

“…These results suggest that YKS has a partial agonistic effect on 5-HT1A receptors. More recently, we demonstrated that ameliorative effects of YKS against PCA-induced aggressive behaviors in rats were counteracted by the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist WAY-100635 (Kanno et al, 2009). These in vitro and in vivo findings, taken together, suggest a possibility that the effects of YKS are mediated by a 5-HT1A receptor agonistic effect.…”

The Blood–Brain Barrier Permeability of Geissoschizine Methyl Ether in Uncaria Hook, a Galenical Constituent of the Traditional Japanese Medicine Yokukansan

“…We previously demonstrated that yokukansan ameliorated aggressive behavior in rats as effectively as a 5-HT1A receptor agonist (Kanno et al 2009). Subsequent in vitro binding studies showed that yokukansan had a partial agonistic effect on 5-HT1A receptors, which was attributed to GM in Uncaria hook, a galenical constituent of yokukansan (Terawaki et al 2010;Nishi et al 2010).…”

“…Yokukansan ameliorated the aggressive behavior as effectively as a serotonin (5-HT)1A receptor agonist or 5-HT2A receptor antagonist (Kanno et al 2009). From these results, we hypothesized that this effect of yokukansan may be due to 5-HT1A receptor agonism or 5-HT2A receptor antagonism.…”

Yokukansan, a Traditional Japanese Medicine, Enhances the L-DOPA-Induced Rotational Response in 6-Hydroxydopamine-Lesioned Rats: Possible Inhibition of COMT

“…The dose of YKS (1 g/kg) in the present study was determined according to the results of our previous studies, in which treatment with 1 g/ kg of YKS significantly ameliorated aggressiveness, impaired sociality, or anxiety in animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders. [8][9][10]30) AIMs were evaluated as described previously 13,31) with modifications. The rats in each group were observed for 1 min every 10 min for 180 min after the injection of L-DOPA.…”

“…[8][9][10] An in vitro competitive binding assay showed that YKS did not bind to various DA receptor subtypes. However, YKS ameliorated anxiety and decrease in extracellular DA concentrations in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of aged rats.…”