Neuropharmacological Actions of Pluchea indica LESS Root Extract in Socially Isolated Mice

• Published in: Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin 1996/03/15, Vol.19(3), pp.379-383
• Main Authors: THONGPRADITCHOTE, Suchitra, MATSUMOTO, Kinzo, TEMSIRIRIRKKUL, Rungravi, TOHDA, Michihisa, MURAKAMI, Yukihisa, WATANABE, Hiroshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aggression - drug effects; aggressive behavior; Analgesics - pharmacology; Animals; Anticonvulsants - pharmacology; Asia; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; benzodiazepine receptor; Biological and medical sciences; Drug Interactions; General pharmacology; Hypnotics and Sedatives - pharmacology; locomotor activity; Male; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred Strains; Motor Activity - drug effects; Pentobarbital - pharmacology; pentobarbital sleep; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Roots - chemistry; Plants, Medicinal - chemistry; Pluchea indica; Postural Balance - drug effects; Sleep - drug effects; Social Isolation; socially isolated mouse
• ISSN: 0918-6158; 1347-5215
• DOI: 10.1248/bpb.19.379

The effects of Pluchea indica LESS root extract (PI-E) on locomotor activity and pentobarbital-induced sleep, social isolation-induced aggressive behavior, motor coordination in the rotarod test, pentylenetetrazole-induced convulsion and nociceptive responses in the tail-pinch test were examined in mice. Socially isolated mice showed higher locomotor activity and shorter duration of pentobarbital sleep than group-housed mice. PI-E (50-100mg/kg, p.o.) significantly decreased locomotor activity and prolonged pentobarbital sleep in a dose-dependent manner in isolated mice but not in group-housed mice. At a large dose (400mg/kg, p.o.), PI-E not only decreased locomotor activity but also prolonged pentobarbital sleep in group-housed mice. The reference drug diazepam, at 0.5mg/kg, also suppressed the locomotor activity in isolated mice but not in group-housed mice. Moreover, diazepam, at 0.1 and 0.5mg/kg, significantly prolonged pentobarbital sleep in both isolated mice and group-housed mice. The effects of PI-E and diazepam on pentobarbital sleep in isolated mice were significantly attenuated by flumazenil (1mg/kg, i.v.). PI-E (50-100 mg/kg), as well as diazepam (0.5-5mg/kg, p.o.), dose-dependently suppressed social isolation-induced aggressive behavior, but it had no effect on pentylenetetrazole-induced convulsion, motor coordination in the rotarod test, or nociceptive response in the tail pinch test in group-housed mice. These results suggest that PI-E attenuates pathophysiological changes caused by social isolation stress in mice, and that the GABA ergic system is partly involved in the action of PI-E on a social isolation-induced decrease in pentobarbital sleep.