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Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor mediates suanzaorentang, a traditional Chinese herb remedy, -induced sleep alteration

  • Published:
Journal of Biomedical Science

Summary

The sedative-hypnotic medications, including benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepines, are the most common treatments for insomnia. However, concerns regarding patterns of inappropriate use, dependence and adverse effects have led to caution in prescribing those sedative-hypnotic medications. On the other hand, a traditional Chinese herb remedy, suanzaorentang, has been efficiently and widely used in clinic for insomnia relief without severe side effects in Asia. Although suanzaorentang has been reported to improve sleep disruption in insomniac patients, its mechanism is still unclear. The present study was designed to elucidate the effects of oral administration of suanzaorentang on physiological sleep-wake architectures and its underlying mechanism in rats. We found that oral administration of suanzaorentang at the beginning of the dark onset dose-dependently increased non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREMS) during the dark period, but had no significant effect on rapid eye movement sleep (REMS). Our results also indicated that intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor type A antagonist, bicuculline, significantly blocked suanzaorentang-induced enhancement in NREMS during the dark period, but GABAB receptor antagonist, 2-hydroxysaclofen had no effect. These results implicated that this traditional Chinese herb remedy, suanzaorentang increases spontaneous sleep activity and its effects may be mediated through the GABAA receptors, but not GABAB receptors.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Science Council grant NSC94-2320-B-002–126, and China Medical University grants DMR94–058.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Technology, Jen-Teh Junior College of Medicine, Nursing and Management, Miaoli, Taiwan

    Pei-Lu Yi

  2. Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Neurology, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, 404, Taiwan

    Chon-Haw Tsai, Ya-Chu Chen & Fang-Chia Chang

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  1. Pei-Lu Yi
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  2. Chon-Haw Tsai
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  4. Fang-Chia Chang
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Correspondence to Fang-Chia Chang.

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Yi, PL., Tsai, CH., Chen, YC. et al. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor mediates suanzaorentang, a traditional Chinese herb remedy, -induced sleep alteration. J Biomed Sci 14, 285–297 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11373-006-9137-z

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