st. johns wort

BZD's not only excite GABA production, the inhibit the production of other nuero transmitters. this study shows the st johns wort can raise levels of dopamine and serotonin.


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uid...


Hyperforin enhances the extracellular concentrations of catecholamines, serotonin and glutamate in the rat locus coeruleus.

Kaehler ST, Sinner C, Chatterjee SS, Philippu A.

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Innsbruck, Austria.

Hyperforin is the main antidepressant component of hypericum perforatum (St. John's Wort). Using the push-pull superfusion technique we tested whether hyperforin influences extracellular concentrations of neurotransmitters in the rat locus coeruleus. Hyperforin (10 mg/kg, i.p.) not only enhanced the extracellular levels of the monoamines dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin, but also that of the excitatory amino acid glutamate. The levels of the main serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid, as well as those of the amino acids GABA, taurine, aspartate, serine and arginine, were not influenced. Together with in vitro studies, our findings suggest that the antidepressant property of hyperforin is due to enhanced concentrations of monoamines and glutamate in the synaptic cleft, probably as a consequence of uptake inhibition.