Menopause begins to affect American women in their early 50's. Many women at this age experience a variety of vasomotor, vaginal, and psychological symptoms, such as hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbance, anxiety, irritability, depression, vaginal dryness, sexual dysfunction, fatigue, and forgetfulness. Limited medical treatments are available to relieve these symptoms, some with severe adverse effects. Instead, many women have turned to botanical dietary supplements. Black cohosh is the most commonly used botanical dietary supplement for the relief of menopausal symptoms in the United States and many other regions. The mechanism of action of black cohosh is not entirely understood. We hypothesize that black cohosh can act through CNS systems to exhibit beneficial effects in menopause. In this application, we propose to test the hypothesis by examining the affinity and functional activity of several chemically characterized black cohosh extracts (BCE) at the y-aminobutyric acid (GABA), opiate, and dopamine receptors. Data gained from these studies will provide a foundation that will ultimately lead to novel approaches for preventing and controlling menopausal symptoms.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
5R21AT003476-02
Application #
7244090
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZAT1-DB (21))
Program Officer
Caldwell, Sheila
Project Start
2006-06-01
Project End
2010-05-31
Budget Start
2007-06-01
Budget End
2010-05-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$188,131
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Illinois at Chicago
Department
Pharmacology
Type
Schools of Pharmacy
DUNS #
098987217
City
Chicago
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
60612
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Deng, Shixin; Chen, Shao-Nong; Lu, Jian et al. (2006) GABAergic phthalide dimers from Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels. Phytochem Anal 17:398-405