fi-asarone prolongs sleep via regulating the level of glutamate in the PVN

作者：Liu, Haoyu; Zhou, Ruiqing; Yin, Lanxiang; Si, Nana; Yang, Chenglin; Huang, Chengqing; Wang, Rongrong; Chen, Xiangtao^*

来源：Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 2023, 665: 71-77.

DOI：10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.05.010

• fi-asarone
• Sleep
• Non-rapid eye movement sleep
• Paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus
• Vesicular glutamate transporters 2
• Glutamic acid

People of all ages could suffer from sleep disorders, which are increasingly recognized as common manifestations of neurologic disease. Acorus tatarinowii is a herb that has been used in traditional medicine to promote sleep. fi-asarone, as the main component of volatile oil obtained from Acorus tatarinowii, may be the main contributor to the sleeping-promoting efficacy of Acorus tatarinowii. In the study, adult male C57BL/6 mice were administered fi-asarone at 12.5 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg, and 50 mg/kg. Behavioral experiments showed that fi-asarone at 25 mg/kg could significantly improve sleep duration. It was also observed that the proportion of NREM (Non-Rapid Eye Movement) sleep increased considerably after administration of fi-asarone. In the PVN (paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus) region of the hypothalamus, it was observed that the glutamate content decreased after fi-asarone treatment. At the same time, the expression of VGLUT2 (vesicular glutamate transporters 2) decreased while the expression of GAD65 (glutamic acid decarboxylase 65) and GABARAP (GABA Type A Receptor-Associated Protein) increased in the hypothalamus, suggesting that fi-asarone may suppress arousal by reducing glutamate and promoting transformation of glutamate to the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA (y-aminobutyric acid). This study is the first to focus on the association between fi-asarone and sleep, shedding perspectives for pharmacological applications of fi-asarone and providing a new direction for future research.

• 单位
  安徽医科大学