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Herbal medication use continues to rise and interactions with existing medications propose risks and may have significant effects and consequences on the administration of anesthesia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of asiatic acid and its potential modulation of the y-aminobutyric acid (GABAa) receptor. Fifty-five male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 5 groups: vehicle (DMSO), asiatic acid (AA), midazolam, or a combination of flumazenil + AA or midazolam + AA, and injected intraperitoneally 30 minutes prior to testing. The rats were tested on the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM) and the Forced Swim Test (FST). Data were analyzed using a two-tailed multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Significance was found regarding the ratio of open arm time, maximum speed, and time spent mobile in the AA group and the midazolam + AA group (P < .05). Flumazenil decreased the anxiolytic effects, suggesting that AA modulates the benzodiazepine site on the GABAA receptor. Further studies are recommended to determine the efficacy of prolonged treatment for anxiety and depression.
Keywords: Anxiolysis, asiatic acid, elevated plus maze, forced swim test, Sprague Dawley rat.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), approximately 40 million Americans over the age of 18-or 16% of the adult population-have anxiety disorders, but only one-third of these receive treatment.1,2 This statistic makes anxiety and its sequelae the object of intense scrutiny by medical practitioners and researchers, especially those treating the psychological and physical aspects of anxiety, and those administering medical care to those who may be affected by symptoms of anxiety, as in the operative environment. Similarly, the ADAA notes that major depression is a treatable illness that affects the way a person thinks, feels, behaves, and functions. Today, 3%-5% of people suffer from major depression, with a lifetime risk of about 17%.1,3
Anxiety is a natural, adaptive mechanism that prepares the body to react to real or imagined dangers or threats. However, if anxiety becomes pathological, it exerts serious emotional and physical effects on the individual. Selye4 describes an organism's stress response to anxiety, that includes the release of endocrine and neurotransmitter mediators which ultimately cause an increase in corticosteroid levels and a sympathetic nervous system response that elevates circulating levels of...