Study On The Variety Confirmation And Pharmacodynamics Of Cortex Catalpae In Ephedrae,Forsythiae Root And Semen Phaseoli Decoction

In order to verify the provenance of Zibaipi (Cortex Catalpae) in Ephedrae, Forsythiae Root and Semen Phaseoli Decoction, this study preliminarily made it and its correlations with modern catalpa and catalpa bungei explicit by applying the materia medica philology, critical interpretation of ancient texts and botanical knowledge, combining three-decoction formula composed of Zibaipi in the substitution formula of bark of catalpa bungei, Sangbaipi (Cortex Mori) and catalpa bark and comparing the pesticide effects of single bark of catalpa bungei, Sangbaipi and catalpa bark in protecting the injured liver cells. This study was divided into three parts, namely retrospective research on Ephedrae, Forsythiae Root and Semen Phaseoli Decoction and its herbal variety, the clinical application of this formula and its research outline of pesticide effect mechanism as well as the pesticide effects of this formula and its single herbs in protecting the injured liver cells.Part one started from researching Ephedrae, Forsythiae Root and Semen Phaseoli Decoction, and the literature records about the currently-used and medicinal varieties as well as the only herbal source of Zibaipi were found in materia medica literatures. By applying the critical interpretation of ancient texts to research literature terms and compare with congeneric literatures, connecting the botanic characteristics of modern catalpa and catalpa bungei and combining archaeological research reports, it was concluded that the currently-used variety of Zibaipi in Collective Commentaries on the Classic of Materia Medica made by Tao Hong-jing pertained to the modern bark of catalpa bungei and its medicinal variety recommended in Ri Hua-zi’s Materia Medica of Various Schools made by Wu Yue were also taken from bark of catalpa bunge. Zibaipi in this formula was confirmed to be the bark of catalpa bunge by referring to its relevant reports in modern literatures. In Zibaipi-replaced study, the reasons why Zibaipi was replaced by other Chinese herbs were analyzed, and the statistically-substituted results displayed that Zibaipi was primarily replaced by Sangbaipi.In part two, on one hand, it was summarized that this formula was mainly used to treat acute nephritis and urticaria in modern clinic by neatening its literature reports in the treatment of clinical cases. On the other hand, it was revealed that the experimental research developed around this formula primarily focused on the protection of injured liver cells, anti-allergic reaction and inhibition of renal mesangial cell proliferation via the collection of experimental research and literatures related to this formula. The thinking how to develop the decoction prescription and pesticide-effect experiment was clarified in the summarization.In part three, the oxidative stress model with H2O2-replicated hepatocytes was selected, and the protection and action mechanisms of three formulae (bark of catalpa bungei compound group, Sangbaipi compound group and catalpa bark compound group constituted by respectively replacing Zibaipi as well as the original formula Zibaipi compound group) and the single herbs (Zibaipi, Sangbaipi and catalpa bark) on human L-O2hepatocytes induced by H2O2were evaluated. The experimental results were as follows:first, all the three formulae had better protective effects on the injured L-O2hepatocytes induced by H2O2; second, the compounds and corresponding single herbs showed a consistent efficacy in terms of decreasing TNF-α,IL-1and NF-κB,P53, caspase3gene capabilities, in which the decreased capability of Sangbaipi compound group and Sangbaipi was the strongest, and then bark of catalpa bungei compound group and bark of catalpa bungei, finally catalpa bark compound group and catalpa bark; third, Sangbaipi was obviously better than Zibaipi and catalpa bark in the decrease of AST and ALT; fourth, bark of catalpa bungei compound group was superior to other two compound groups in the improvement of P16protein expression, and it was also significantly superior to Sangbaipi compound group in the decrease of P21protein expression together with catalpa bark compound group. Besides, the effect of bark of catalpa bungei was the most significant in the down-regulation of P21protein, while those of Sangbaipi and catalpa bark were insignificant.Three major achievements had been achieved in this study. First, the provenance of Zibaipi was confirmed to be the bark of catalpa bungei by critical interpretation of ancient texts, and the subsequent experimental results revealed that the effects of bark of catalpa bungei were all superior to Zibaipi in various experimental indexes of protecting injured hepatocytes, which verified the provenance of Zibaipi was catalpa bungei; Second, the compounds and corresponding single herbs showed a consistent efficacy in terms of decreasing TNF-a and IL-1capabilities, and strong or weak efficacy of single herb directly affected that of its corresponding compound, suggesting that Zibaipi plays an important role in this formula; third, Sangbaipi and its compound group were superior to other groups in the decrease of TNF-a and IL-1capabilities, and Sangbaipi was obviously better than catalpa bark and bark of catalpa bungei in the decrease of AST and ALT, indicating that Sangbaipi is better than catalpa bark and bark of catalpa bungei in the protection of hepatocytes and provides an experimental evidence for the rationality of Sangbaipi in the replacement of Zibaipi.In this study, the provenance of Zibaipi is confirmed to be the catalpa bungei which is extensively planted in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River in our country, hence it is very abundant as the herbal source of Zibaipi. It is of great importance to study the medicinal value of bark of catalpa bungei and make it apply in Ephedrae, Forsythiae Root and Semen Phaseoli Decoction or other formulae to fully exert its effect for treating clinical disease.