Evidence mapPaperPMID 40028110Full record

ArticleACS omega2025

Chaihu Shugan San Exerts Antidepressant Effects by Regulating Glucocorticoid Metabolism in CUMS Rats and Network Pharmacology Provides Complementary Mechanistic Insights.

Yusen Xu, Xuemei Han, Ying Zhu, Bin Deng, Linjie Li, Yujing Du, Yanjie Qin, Yongning Lv, Xuejia Zhai

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in ACS omega, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Decoding serotonin: the molecular symphony behind depression.Frontiers in cellular neuroscience · 2025
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Yusen XuDepartment of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, People's Republic of China.
Xuemei HanDepartment of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, People's Republic of China.
Ying ZhuDepartment of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, People's Republic of China.
Bin DengDepartment of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, People's Republic of China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4684-4244
Linjie LiDepartment of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, People's Republic of China.
Yujing DuDepartment of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, People's Republic of China.
Yanjie QinDepartment of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, People's Republic of China.
Yongning LvDepartment of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, People's Republic of China.
Xuejia ZhaiDepartment of Pharmacy, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, People's Republic of China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1409-9748

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Traditional Chinese medicine Chaihu Shugan San (CSGS) is a classic Chinese herb prescription for improving depression, but its specific molecular mechanism has not been fully clarified. This study integrates network pharmacology and experimental validation to investigate CSGS's antidepressant effects, focusing on its impact on GC metabolism and related pathways. In this research, the antidepressant mechanism of CSGS in relation to the depression model induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress will be discussed. High-performance liquid tandem mass spectrometry was applied for the verification of the grown metabolites' economic vitality in rat plasma and the prefrontal cortex. The revelation of behavioral test results showed that the administration of CSGS improved depression symptoms significantly at the end of the administration period, which was 8 weeks. Network pharmacology was used to assist in verifying and improving the mechanism by which the active ingredients of CSGS affect the glucocorticoid metabolic pathway to exert antidepressant effects. CSGS significantly improved glucocorticoid (GC) metabolism by reducing corticosterone (CORT) levels and increasing dehydrocorticosterone (11-DHCORT) and the 11-DHCORT/CORT ratio in plasma and PFC. It regulated GC metabolism in the liver and PFC by downregulating GC synthase (11β-HSD1) and upregulating GC metabolic enzymes (11β-HSD2). Additionally, CSGS restored GC signaling by upregulating GR and HSP-90α, downregulating FKBP51 and HSP-70, and alleviating inflammation by inhibiting NF-κB P65 and HAT expression. These effects, particularly in the liver and PFC, were stronger than those with fluoxetine. Network pharmacology revealed that CSGS targets multiple pathways including PI3K-Akt, FoxO, HIF-1, and mTOR. These results indicate that CSGS can improve the depressive state of rats by regulating glucocorticoid metabolism and other related pathways as well as downstream signaling proteins.

Identifiers

PMID40028110
PMCPMC11866020

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.