Objective: To study the influence of Anshen Dingzhiling (ADL) on the expression of dopamine receptor-3(DRD3)

dopamine receptor-4(DRD4) and dopamine receptor-5(DRD) in Limbic system and DRD4 in Prefrontal Cortex of spontaneously hypertensive rat(SHR) as an model of attention deficit hyperactive disorder(ADHD)

and to investigate the mechanisms of ADL treatment for ADHD. Method: Thirty SHR rats were randomly divided into groups: untreated model group

ritalin group (2.1 mg·kg-1 by ig)

high dose of ADL group

middle dose of ADL group and low dose of ADL group (ig ADL with the crude drug dosage 34.1

17.1

8.5 g·kg-1 respectively). The normal control group includes 6 Wistar rats (given normal saline 10 mL·kg-1 by ig). The rats were sacrificed after a month of treatment

then the expression of DRD3

DRD4 and DRD5 mRNA in Limbic system and DRD4 mRNA in Prefrontal Cortex of brain were detected by RT-PCR. Result: compared to the normal rats

Regardless of the expression of DRD3

DRD4 and DRD5 in Limbic system or DRD4 in Prefrontal Cortex of brain of model rats were reduced. Compared with the model rats

the expression of DRD3

DRD4

and DRD5 gene in limbic system and that of DRD4 gene in the prefrontal cortex of Ritalin group was called back by Ritalin

the expression of DRD3

DRD4

and DRD5 gene in the limbic system and that of DRD4 gene in prefrontal cortex was called back by the low-dose ADL

only the expression of DRD4 gene in prefrontal cortex was called back by the middle-dose ADL

the high-dose of ADL raised the expression of DRD3 in limbic system significantly meanwhile lowered the expression of in DRD4 frontal cortex. Conclusion: The produce of ADHD had a certain correlation with DRD3

DRD4 and DRD5.The results showed that different dose of ADL played different roles in the regulation of the dopamine pathways of the brain-the cortex-the limbic system

so prompted that the clinical dosage should be considered with symptoms.