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Hypnotic effects of a novel anti-insomnia formula on Drosophila insomnia model

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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 HyperkineticY (HkY) 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 HkY 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.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

    Chun-hay Ko  (高俊熙), Chi-man Koon  (官志文), Siu-lung Yu  (余兆龙), Kwok-ying Lee  (李国英), Clara Bik-san Lau  (刘碧珊), Kwok-pui Fung  (冯国培) & Ping-chung Leung  (梁秉中)

  2. State Key Laboratory of Photochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

    Chun-hay Ko  (高俊熙), Chi-man Koon  (官志文), Siu-lung Yu  (余兆龙), Kwok-ying Lee  (李国英), Clara Bik-san Lau  (刘碧珊), Kwok-pui Fung  (冯国培) & Ping-chung Leung  (梁秉中)

  3. School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

    Edwin Ho-yin Chan  (陈浩然)

  4. Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Yun-kwok Wing  (荣润国)

  5. School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

    Kwok-pui Fung  (冯国培)

Authors
  1. Chun-hay Ko  (高俊熙)
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  2. Chi-man Koon  (官志文)
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  3. Siu-lung Yu  (余兆龙)
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  4. Kwok-ying Lee  (李国英)
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  5. Clara Bik-san Lau  (刘碧珊)
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  6. Edwin Ho-yin Chan  (陈浩然)
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  7. Yun-kwok Wing  (荣润国)
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  8. Kwok-pui Fung  (冯国培)
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  9. Ping-chung Leung  (梁秉中)
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ping-chung Leung  (梁秉中).

Additional information

Supported by Research Fund for Innovation and Technology Support Programme (No. GHP/037/05), Innovation and Technology Commission, Hong Kong SAR, China

These authors contributed equally to this work

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Ko, Ch., Koon, Cm., Yu, Sl. et al. Hypnotic effects of a novel anti-insomnia formula on Drosophila insomnia model. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 22, 335–343 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-014-1625-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-014-1625-1

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