Effects of Aqueous Extract of Schizandra Chinensis Fruit on Cadmium-Induced Change of Monoamine Neurotransmitters in Rats

The effects of aqueous extract of Schizandra Chinensis Fruit (AESC) on cadmium-induced changes of monoamine neurotransmitters in the different brain regions of adult rats were investigated. Male rats were received intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of CdCl(2) (0.6 mg/kg/d) for 21 days and sacrificed 7 days after the last administration. Concentrations of norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) in striatum and serotonin (5-HT), 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) in cortex were measured by HPLC. There were significant decreases of NE, DA, 5-HT and 5-HIAA in Cd intoxicated rats (P < 0.05), while pretreatment with AESC (20 mg/kg/d or 60 mg/kg/d, p.o., 30 min before CdCl(2)) greatly inhibited the decrease of monoamine transmitters, respectively (P < 0.05). Also, AESC significantly increased the reduction of glutathione contents and superoxide dismutase activities in cortex induced by CdCl(2). These results suggest that AESC ameliorates Cd-induced depletion of monoamine neu-rotransmitters in brain through its antioxidant activity.