• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.29-34
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• 2020

Objectives : Gyejigamchoyonggolmoryeo-tang (GT, Guizhigancaolonggumulitang in Chinese) is a herbal medicine to be prescribed for insomnia caused by anxiety induced by Heart-Heat and elevated Liver-Yang. In the present study, the onset time (sleep latency) and the duration time of sleep were measured to find out the sleep inducing effects of GT. The expression of c-fos immunohistochemistry was also measured at the ventrolateral preoptic area (VLPO) and tuberomammillary nucleus (TMN) site in brain. Methods : The onset time (sleep latency) and the duration time of sleep were measured 30 minutes after thiopental sodium injection. Thereafter, brain tissue was obtained and c-fos immunohistochemistry was performed on the VLPO and TMN sites. Results : GT statistically significantly reduced the sleep latency required to enter sleep, and significantly increased sleep duration time. GT significantly increased the number of c-fos immunohistochemical staining-positive cells in the sleep-inducing center (VLPO), whereas GT significantly decreased the number of c-fos immunohistochemical staining-positive cells in the arousal center (TMN). Conclusions : It could be concluded that the GT shortened the sleep latency and increased the duration time for sleep induced by thiopental sodium. And it was confirmed that the mechanism was to stimulate the sleep-inducing center (VLPO) and suppress the arousal center (TMN) in the brain. The results of this study are considered to be useful as scientific evidence that can be used clinically for the treatment of insomnia caused by anxiety.