Chun-Hay Ko1,2, Chi-Man Koon1,2, Siu-Lung Yu1,2, Kwok-Ying Lee1,2, Clara Bik-San Lau1,2, Edwin Ho-Yin Chan3, Yun-Kwok Wing4, Kwok-Pui Fung1,2,5, Ping-Chung Leung6,7. 1. Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. 2. State Key Laboratory of Photochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. 3. School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. 4. Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. 5. School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. 6. Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. pingcleung@cuhk.edu.hk. 7. State Key Laboratory of Photochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China. pingcleung@cuhk.edu.hk.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the biological effects of the six-herb mixture Anti-Insomia Formula (AIF) extract using caffeine-induced insomnia Drosophila model and short-sleep mutants. METHODS: Caffeineinduced insomnia wild-type Drosophila and short-sleep mutant flies minisleep (mns) and Hyperkinetic(Y) (Hk(Y)) were used to assess the hypnotic effects of the AIF in vivo. The night time activity, the amount of night time sleep and the number of sleep bouts were determined using Drosophila activity monitoring system. Sleep was defined as any period of uninterrupted behavioral immobility (0 count per minute) lasting > 5 min. Night time sleep was calculated by summing up the sleep time in the dark period. Number of sleep bouts was calculated by counting the number of sleep episodes in the dark period. RESULTS: AIF at the dosage of 50 mg/mL, effectively attenuated caffeine-induced wakefulness (P<0.01) in wild-type Canton-S flies as indicated by the reduction of the sleep bouts, night time activities and increase of the amount of night time sleep. AIF also significantly reduced sleeping time of short-sleep Hk(Y) mutant flies (P<0.01). However, AIF did not produce similar effect in mns mutants. CONCLUSION: AIF might be able to rescue the abnormal condition caused by mutated modulatory subunit of the tetrameric potassium channel, but not rescuing the abnormal nerve firing caused by Shaker gene mutation. This study provides the scientific evidence to support the use of AIF in Chinese medicine for promoting sleep quality in insomnia.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the biological effects of the six-herb mixture Anti-Insomia Formula (AIF) extract using caffeine-induced insomnia Drosophila model and short-sleep mutants. METHODS:Caffeineinducedinsomnia wild-type Drosophila and short-sleep mutant flies minisleep (mns) and Hyperkinetic(Y) (Hk(Y)) were used to assess the hypnotic effects of the AIF in vivo. The night time activity, the amount of night time sleep and the number of sleep bouts were determined using Drosophila activity monitoring system. Sleep was defined as any period of uninterrupted behavioral immobility (0 count per minute) lasting > 5 min. Night time sleep was calculated by summing up the sleep time in the dark period. Number of sleep bouts was calculated by counting the number of sleep episodes in the dark period. RESULTS: AIF at the dosage of 50 mg/mL, effectively attenuated caffeine-induced wakefulness (P<0.01) in wild-type Canton-S flies as indicated by the reduction of the sleep bouts, night time activities and increase of the amount of night time sleep. AIF also significantly reduced sleeping time of short-sleep Hk(Y) mutant flies (P<0.01). However, AIF did not produce similar effect in mns mutants. CONCLUSION: AIF might be able to rescue the abnormal condition caused by mutated modulatory subunit of the tetrameric potassium channel, but not rescuing the abnormal nerve firing caused by Shaker gene mutation. This study provides the scientific evidence to support the use of AIF in Chinese medicine for promoting sleep quality in insomnia.
Authors: Jihui Zhang; Siu Ping Lam; Shirley Xin Li; Albert Martin Li; Kelly Y C Lai; Yun-Kwok Wing Journal: Sleep Date: 2011-10-01 Impact factor: 5.849