Lab study, 2020
Can Paeonia lactiflora extract reduce anxiety in rats with PMS-like symptoms?
Yes. In rats with PMS-like anxiety, Paeonia lactiflora extract reduced anxious behavior and changed three brain chemicals involved in stress and mood. However, this is a rat study, so it does not directly show whether it would help people.
What they did
Created rats with PMS-like anxiety using electrical stimulation. Some rats received Paeonia lactiflora extract and others did not. Researchers measured how anxious the rats were and measured the levels of three brain chemicals.
What they found
Rats given the extract showed less anxiety (they were less active in movement tests). The extract increased the expression of two brain molecules (estrogen receptor beta and TPH2) and decreased another one (SERT). These chemicals are involved in mood and stress regulation.
What it means for you
The study suggests one possible way Paeonia lactiflora might reduce PMS anxiety by changing these specific brain chemicals. However, this is a rat model, not humans. Animal studies often do not translate directly to people, so testing in humans would be needed. The anxiety was created artificially, which may not match what happens naturally in PMS.
3
brain molecules measured
About the study
- Original title
- Effects of Paeonia lactiflora Extract on Estrogen Receptor β , TPH2, and SERT in Rats with PMS Anxiety
- Authors
- Wang J, Song C, Gao D et al.
- Journal
- BioMed research international
- Year
- 2020
- Study design
- Lab study
- What was tested
- Paeonia lactiflora extract
- Open access
- Yes
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1155/2020/4690504
Original abstract
This study is to investigate the effect of Paeonia lactiflora extract on PMS anxiety and on expression of estrogen receptor β (ER β ), tryptophan hydroxylase-2 (TPH2), and serotonin transporter (SERT) in the premenstrual syndrome (PMS) anxiety model rats. The vaginal smear and open field test were used to screen rats in nonreception phase of estrus cycle with similar macroscopic behaviors and regular estrus cycle. PMS anxiety model rats were prepared by electrical stimulation. RT-PCR and immunofluorescence were used to measure the expression of ER β , TPH2, and SERT. Compared with normal rats, the total distance in the open field test of the model rats was significantly increased ( P Paeonia lactiflora extract, the total distance of rats was significantly reduced ( P β , TPH2, and SERT. In nonreception stage, the expression of ER β and TPH2 in the model group was significantly decreased ( P Paeonia lactiflora extract. In conclusion, Paeonia lactiflora extract can increase the expression of ER β and TPH2 and decrease SERT in PMS model rats, which may be one of the mechanisms underlying the effect of Paeonia lactiflora extract on PMS.
Reproduced under CC-BY.
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