ArticleMolecular neurobiology2025
Huanglian Wendan Decoction Improves Insomnia in Rats by Regulating BDNF/TrkB Signaling Pathway Through Gut Microbiota-Mediated SCFAs and Affecting Microglia Polarization.
Article in Molecular neurobiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Global research trends and hotspots of short-chain fatty acids in cognitive impairment: a bibliometric analysis based on two databases.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Pooled it
- Zhi-Zi-Chi Decoction Alleviates Depressive-like Behaviors by Regulating Gut Microbiota and Targeting the AMPK/PI3K-TOR Pathway via Its Metabolite Protocatechuic Acid.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Axonopathy: mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases.Translational neurodegeneration · 2026Review
- Review
- Electroacupuncture Attenuates Neuroinflammation in PCPA-Induced Insomnia Rats by Suppressing the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB p65 Pathway and M1 Microglial Activation.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2026Article
- Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential of natural products and traditional Chinese medicine formulas in ADHD: a review of preclinical evidence.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Review
- Huanglian Wendan decoction modulates gut microbiota-brain axis for depression comorbid with insomnia: a mini review.Frontiers in microbiology · 2026Review
- Multi-target regulatory mechanisms and clinical assessment of natural products for insomnia: a review.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Review
- Fundamental role of brain-organ interaction in behavior-driven holistic homeostasis.Fundamental research · 2025Review
- miR-21-5p Alleviates Retinal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury by Inhibiting M1 Polarization of Microglia via Suppression of STAT3 Signaling.Biomedicines · 2025Article
- Jiaotaiwan activates serum SCFAs and upregulates cAMP-PKA-CREB-BDNF signaling pathway for antidepressant effects: A multicenter, randomized, controlled study.Chinese herbal medicines · 2025Article
- Butyrate improves abnormal sleep architecture in a Parkinson's disease mouse model via BDNF/TrkB signaling.NPJ Parkinson's disease · 2025Article
- Ageing-associated gut dysbiosis deteriorates mouse cognition.Acta biochimica et biophysica Sinica · 2025Article
- Gpr35 Expression Mitigates Neuroinflammation and Enriches GutResearch (Washington, D.C.) · 2025Article
- Bioactive compounds in Chinese herbal medicine: anti-inflammatory mechanisms targeting neurological disorders.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Review
- Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Insomnia is a typical type of sleep disorder. Huanglian Wendan Decoction (HWD) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with the effects of regulating Qi, drying dampness and resolving phlegm, calming the mind, and relieving irritation. This study aims to investigate the effect of HWD on insomnia in rats and its mechanism. Para-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA)-induced insomnia in rats was used for in vivo experiments and then treated with HWD. Behavioral tests, Western blot, real-time PCR, immunofluorescent staining, 16S rRNA sequencing were conducted. The content of SCFAs was determined by GC-MS. Acetic acid-pretreated rat hippocampal nerve cells were used for in vitro experiments. The results showed that HWD significantly improved the learning memory ability, decreased sleep latency, and prolonged sleep duration in insomniac rats. HWD reduced TNF-α and IL-6 levels and increased IL-10 and Foxp3 levels. HWD also promoted the polarization of macrophages from M1 pro-inflammatory phenotype to M2 anti-inflammatory phenotype. In addition, HWD increased the expression levels of BDNF and TrkB in the hippocampus. Administration of the TrkB receptor agonist 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF) confirmed the mechanism by which HWD activates BDNF/TrkB signaling to ameliorate insomnia. Furthermore, HWD restored gut microbiota richness and diversity and promoted short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production in insomniac rats. In vitro experiments confirmed that the acetic acid-treated SCFA group could activate the BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway in neuronal cells, further promoting neuronal cell growth. In conclusion, HWD alleviated insomnia by maintaining gut microbiota homeostasis, promoting SCFA production, reducing neuroinflammatory response and microglia activation, and activating BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway.
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Registered trials
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 OpenQuestion graph.