Objective: To observe the sedative

hypnotic and anxiolytic effects of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus vinegar (SV) and explore its underlying mechanisms. Method: Fifty ICR male mice were randomly divided into blank control group (gavage distilled water

at a dose of 10 mL·kg-1)

diazepam group (sedative experimental dose of 2 mg·kg-1

hypnosis and anti-anxiety experiment dose of 4 mg·kg-1)

low-dose SV group

medium-dose SV group and high-dose SV group (corresponding doses by intragastric administration)

for consecutive 7 days. The effect of SV on the locomotor activity of mice was observed with locomotor activity recorder. By using the synergistic sleeping experiment with SV and threshold-dose pentobarbital sodium

the effect of SV on the number of sleeping mice

the sleeping latency and sleeping time were observed. The anxiolytic effect of SV was observed by using elevated plus maze (EPM). The effects of SV on the contents of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate (Glu) were observed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

and Western blot was used to observe the effect of SV on the expression levels of GABAAα1 and GABAAγ2 in the brain tissues. Result: As compared with those in the blank control group

the number of locomotor activities (P<0.05

P<0.01); the number of sleeping mice was increased significantly (P<0.05); the sleeping latency was significantly shortened and the sleeping time was significantly prolonged in the medium-dose and high-dose SV groups (P<0.05). The open-arms time percentage (OT) and open-arms entries percentage (OE) in EPM model mice were increased significantly in the medium-dose and high-dose SV groups (P<0.05); the content of GABA was increased significantly (P <0.05)and the content of Glu was decreased significantly in the brain tissues in the high-dose SV group only (P <0.05); the protein expression levels of GABAAα1 and GABAAγ2 were increased significantly in the medium-dose and high-dose SV groups (P<0.05

P<0.01). Conclusion: SV has sedative

hypnotic and anxiolytic effects

and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of GABA and Glu contents as well as the protein expression of GABAAα1 and GABAAγ2 in brain tissues.