Study On The Regulation Of Gastrointestinal Motility By The Main Components And Their Compatibility Of Weichang’an Pill

Wei-Chang-An-Wan, a traditional Chinese medicine prescription, has been usedto treat irritable bowel syndrome and functional diarrhea effectively. The purpose ofthis study is to investigate the regulation of gastrointestinal motility by the maincomponents and their compatibility of Wei-Chang-An-Wan.In vivo and vitro study, the effects of single herbs and the compatibilities on thegastrointestinal motility function were researched. The following herbs were takenaway from the prescription on by one, Moschus, Jujubae Fructus, ChuanxiongRhizoma, Santali Albi Lignum, Aquilariae Lignum Resinatum, Magnoliae OfficinalisCortex, Aurantii Fructus and Aucklandiae Radix, according to the idea of withdrawaldrug. Observing the gastric emptying and intestinal propulsion in vivo using phenolred method, the antidiarrheal activity of the whole prescription was the best. In vitro,the effects of Aucklandiae Radix. and Santali Albi Lignum on the spontaneouscontraction of rat-isolated jejunum were outstanding. It is supposed that AucklandiaeRadix. and Santali Albi Lignum played an important role in the antidiarrheal activity.In vivo, the gastric emptying increased and intestinal transit decreased afteradministration of the methanol extract of Radix Aucklandiae (RA ext) in normal mice.However, RA ext inhibited the gastric emptying and the intestinal transit throughoutthe concentrations in neostigmine-induced mice. The in vitro results indicated that RAext played a spasmolytic role in gastrointestinal motility is probably mediated throughinhibition of Acetylcholine (Ach) receptors,5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptorsand calcium influx. The cholinergic and calcium antagonist constituents might be thecompatibility of costunolide and dehydrocostuslactone. Sandalwood extract (SE)showed significantly anti-diarrhoeal activity against castor oil-induced diarrhoea ascompared with the control and inhibited the gastric emptying and small intestinalmotility in the mice of which small intestinal hyperfunction induced by neostigmine.It caused inhibitory effects on the spontaneous contraction of rat-isolated jejunum indose-dependent manner, and this effect was probably mediated through inhibition ofAch receptors,5-HT receptors and calcium influx.Crotonis Semen Pulveratum (CS) could increase the intestinal transit in normalmice. Besides, compared with the control group increasing the transit in mice, lowdose increased the transit in mice, while high dose inhibited the hyperfunctioninduced by neostigmine dramatically in vivo study. In vitro, the results indicated that CS dose-dependently increased the tension and amplitude of spontaneous contractionsin jejunum longitudinal muscles. At0.8mg/mL, it stimulated the spontaneouscontractions of jejunum and ileum, while inhibited the spontaneous contractions ofduodenum and colon, especially the duodenum. CS had the diarrhoeogenic andantidiarrhoeal bidirectional effects, and this was associated to Ach receptor andcalcium channels, but not the participation of prostaglandins or nitric oxide. In thenormal mice, the compatibility of Crotonis Semen Pulveratum and Rhei Radix etRhizoma could promote gastrointestinal movement, however, in castor oil-induceddiarrhoea mice, the compatibility showed significantly anti-diarrheal activity againstcastor oil-induced diarrhea as compared with the control. The findings suggested thatthe compatibility had the diarrhoeogenic and antidiarrhoeal bidirectional effects, andthis may be associated to Ach receptor.In conclusion, all these researches provide a theoretical support for thescientificity of the prescription, and supply the basis for the clinical application andfurther development of Wei-Chang-An-Wan.