Biomol Ther.  2017 Jul;25(4):390-395. 10.4062/biomolther.2016.156.

Sedative Effect of Sophora flavescens and Matrine

• Lee HJ
• Lee SY
• Jang D
• Chung SY
• Shim I

• KMID: 2386905
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4062/biomolther.2016.156

Abstract

The present study investigated the sedative effects of Sophora flavescens (SF) and its bioactive compound, matrine through performing locomotor activity test and the electroencephalography (EEG) analysis in the rat. The underlying neural mechanism of their beneficial effects was determined by assessing c-Fos immunoreactivity and serotonin (5-HT) in the brain utilizing immunohistochemical method and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results showed that SF and matrine administration had an effect on normalization of caffeine-induced hyperactivity and promoting a shift toward non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. c-Fos-immunoreactivity and 5-HT level in the ventrolateral preoptic nucleus (VLPO), a sleep promoting region, were increased in the both SF and matrine-injected groups. In conclusion, SF and its bioactive compound, matrine alleviated caffeine-induced hyperactivity and promoted NREM sleep by activating VLPO neurons and modulating serotonergic transmission. It is suggested that SF might be a useful natural alternatives for hypnotic medicine.

Keyword

Sophora flavescens; Matrine; Serotonin; Electroencephalography; Locomotor; Sedative effect

MeSH Terms

Animals
Brain
Electroencephalography
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Eye Movements
Hypnotics and Sedatives*
Methods
Motor Activity
Neurons
Preoptic Area
Rats
Serotonin
Sophora*
Hypnotics and Sedatives
Serotonin