---
title: Does Shu-Yu capsule reduce depression from premenstrual syndrome in rats?
description: This was an animal study in rats, not humans. In rats, Shu-Yu capsule improved depression-like symptoms and balanced a key brain chemical.
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/shuyu-capsule-a-traditional-chinese-medicine-formulation-attenuates-premenstrual-2014/
---

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- Does Shu-Yu capsule reduce depression from premenstrual syndrome in rats?

Randomised trial, 2014

# Does Shu-Yu capsule reduce depression from premenstrual syndrome in rats?

This was an animal study in rats, not humans. In rats, Shu-Yu capsule improved depression-like symptoms and balanced a key brain chemical.

 Early or limited evidence

Rats in a laboratory model of premenstrual syndrome depression

## What they did

An animal study in rats divided into 5 groups: control, model group with PMS depression, fluoxetine, Shu-Yu capsule, and saikosaponins group. Rats were treated for 4 days and tested for depression-like behavior, movement, weight, and measured brain chemicals called glutamate and GABA in the hippocampus.

## What they found

Compared to the model group, the Shu-Yu capsule group showed significantly higher sucrose preference scores, higher movement scores on the open field test, and higher body mass. Shu-Yu capsule also inhibited the decrease of the glutamate to GABA ratio in the hippocampus.

## What it means for you

This is early laboratory research in animals, not proof that it works in humans. Much more research is needed before we can know if it would help women with PMS.

5

rat groups studied

4

days of treatment

## About the study

Original title Shu‑Yu capsule, a Traditional Chinese Medicine formulation, attenuates premenstrual syndrome depression induced by chronic stress constraint Authors Gao X, Sun P, Qiao M et al. Journal Molecular medicine reports Year 2014 Study design Randomised trial What was tested Shu-Yu capsule, a Traditional Chinese Medicine formulation Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2014.2599](https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2014.2599)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Stress](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-stress/)[SSRIs and antidepressants](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-ssri/)[Other herbal medicine](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-herbal-other/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

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