Experimental study on protective effect of Chinese herbal medicine on glucocorticoid receptor

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To probe the relationship of glucocorticoid receptor and some Chinese medicinal herbs. METHODS: The models of Qi-Yang exhaustion and Qi-Yin exhaustion were made with hemorrhagic rats and heat-stressed rats respectively. The effect of Shenfu Decoction (SFD) and Shengmai Powder (SMP) on plasma glucocorticoid (GC) and its receptor (GcR) in hepatic cytosol of the models were measured respectively. RESULTS: The activity of GcR decreased in both models, while their blood level of GC increased markedly. SFD and SMP showed no regulating effect on blood GC, but displayed obvious up-regulation on GcR level in both models. CONCLUSION: SFD and SMP could up-regulate the activity of GcR in Qi-Yang and Qi-Yin exhaustion models.