OBJECTIVE

2

To study the mechanism of Compound zaoren granule in improving insomnia.

METHODS

2

Forty-nine mice were divided into blank group， model group， positive control group 1 （Estazolam tablets 0.5 mg/kg），control group 2 （Shumian capsule 0.6 g/kg）， Compound zaoren granule low-dose， medium-dose and high-dose groups （2.5， 5， 10 g/kg）， with 7 mice in each group. The insomnia model was established by chronic unpredictable mild stress combined with 4-chloro-DL-phenylacetic acid. The behavioral changes of mice were investigated through open field test and pentobarbital sodium synergistic hypnosis experiment， as well as the pathomorphology of mice hypothalamus tissue was observed by HE staining. The metabonomics analysis and multivariate statistical analysis of serum in mice were performed by UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS， and the differential metabolites were screened out； the metabolic pathway analysis was conducted based on MetaboAnalyst 5.0 database.

RESULTS

2

Compared with blank group， the total travelling distance， the number of entering the central region and the moving distance in the central region of the model group were significantly reduced （

P

＜0.05）， the proportion of total rest time was significantly increased （

P

＜0.05）， the sleep duration of mice was significantly shortened （

P

＜0.05）， and hypothalamic nerve cells damaged and severely vacuolated. Compared with model group， the total travelling distance of Compound zaoren granule low-dose and medium-dose groups were increased significantly and the proportions of total rest time of those groups were decreased significantly （

P

＜0.05）， and the sleep duration of mice in Compound zaoren granule high-dose group was prolonged significantly （

P

＜0.05）； the hypothalamic nerve cells of mice in each administration group recovered to varying degrees， and the hypothalamus histiocytes of mice in the Compound zaoren granules high-dose group were closer to those in the blank group. A total of 18 differential metabolites （such as phenylalanine， taurine， norvaline， methionine） and 4 important amino acid metabolic pathways （L-phenylalanine， tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis； taurine and hypotaurine metabolism； L-phenylalanine metabolism； cysteine and methionine metabolism） were identified through metabolomics analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

2

Compound zaoren granules can normalize the disordered metabolism

in vivo

by regulating differential metabolites such as phenylalanine， taurine， and four amino acid metabolic pathways， so as to improve insomnia.