Objective: To study the effect of salidroside on the stressed mice induced by repeated tail-suspension test(R-TST). Method: Fifty Kunming mice were randomly divided into five groups

including control group

stressed group

high-dose salidroside group(ig.60 mg ·kg-1)

middle-dose salidroside group(ig.30 mg ·kg-1)

low-dose salidroside group(ig.15 mg ·kg-1). Repeated tail suspension test model was adopted in this experiment. All groups were stressed once a day for 11 days and two hours daily

the stress time was progressively increased one hour in every three days. Each group was administered with appropriate dose of salidroside or saline 30 min before the stress

the blood samples were collected from the orbit 30 min after the stress. RIA was used to determined the contents of testosterone in serum. The spleen

thymus

adrenal gland and testis were removed and the organ indexes were calculated after weighing. Adrenal gland and testes were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde and tissue sections prepared

stained with HE

morphological changes were observed under a microscope. Result: After the stress

body weight gain was suppressed significantly for the stressed mice

and the weight gain was only 27% of controls. The adrenal gland index was increased to 164%

spleen index were reduced to 70%

comparing with the control group. Along with adrenal index increase

adrenal hypertrophy

medulla atrophy or even disappeared. And the testosterone level in plasma in mice of the stressed groupwas significantly lowered compared with that of the control group(P<0.01). Giving low dosage of salidroside 30 min before the stress could reverse the slow weight gain caused by stress

reduce adrenal index

relieve the pathological syndrome

such as adrenal hypertrophy and medullary atrophy

and make the testosterone recovered to normal level. However

the similar effects were not found in the mice of middle dose salidroside group and high dose salidroside group. Conclusion: The low-dose salidroside can significantly improve the following problems in the stressed mice: suppressed weight gain

the increased adrenal gland index

adrenal cortical hypertrophy

medulla atrophy and blurred microscopic structure and the low testosterone level. It indicates that salidroside may perform the anti-stress function by means of improving the decreased testosterone level caused by stress and maintaining the normal tissues structure as well as the physiological function of adrenal gland. And high dosage salidroside may have adverse effects.