Xie Xin Tang Anti-endotoxin Component Of The Pharmacological Effects And Mechanisms

Xie-Xin Decoction, composed of Radix et Rhizoma Rhei, Radix Scutellariae and Rhizoma Coptidis, was a recipe originated from ZHANG Zhong-jing with high reputation. Many studies indicated that Xie-Xin Decoction had an effective contribution to a broad range of acute and infective diseases for its anti-endotoxin activity.In present study, three levels of extacts, such as the cut crude drug, polar extacts and effective fractions of Xie-Xin Decoction, as well as its dissembled prescriptions, were examinated to identify the effective fractions of Xie-Xin Decoction with anti-endotoxin activity. Tachypleus amebocyte lysate tube gel method, dynamic turbidimetry of serum and rat model of endotoxin-induced fever were employed to preliminarily determine the anti-endotoxin activity of cut crude drug and polar extacts of Xie-Xin Decoction. LPS-induced NO release from peritoneal macrophages were determined by Griess in order to screen anti-endotoxic effective fractions. The mechanism involved in the activity of anti-endotoxin was investigated through reverse transcripton polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemistry methods.The results were showed as follows:The couple of Dahuang-Huangqin had the strongest antiendotoxic activity which even excelled the activity of whole recipe, and which n-butanol extracts also owned the same characteristic in all extracts and chloroform extract surpass other chloroform extracts. The free and conjunct anthraquinone of Dahuang, total flavonoids of Huangqin were antiendotoxic effective fractions of Xie-Xin Decoction. The NO release was inhibited obviously by these effective fractions, especially by conjunct anthraquinone. The effect of compatibility of conjunct anthraquinone and total flavonoids was slight stronger than compatibility of conjunct anthraquinone and total flavonoids.