Study On The Mechanism Of Four Gentlemen Decoction Improving Digestive Function In Beijing Duck

Four Gentlemen decoction is extensively used in clinical practice for the treatment of Spleen deficiency pattern (SDP). However, only a little bit was known about the mechanism of action. Studies have shown that abnormality of exocrine pancreatic secretion was a major pathological mechanism of SDP. Cholecystokinin (CCK) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) was very potent to stimulate exocrine pancreatic secretion. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of Four Gentlemen decoction on the expression of CCK and VIP in duodenum and jejunum of duck SDP models using semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).1. Primers were designed according to the sequences of chicken CCK, VIP and duck β -actin cDNA published in the GenBank. The expected sizes of DNA fragments were amplified using RT-PCR technique, the PCR products were cloned into pGEM-T Easy vector for sequence analysis, the results showed that the homologies of sequences were 90%, 94% and 100% respectively.2. The models of SDP were established by injecting Reserpine, expression of CCK, VIP was determined by semiquantitative RT-PCR. The expression levels of CCK, VIP mRNA in experimental SDP were significantly reduced than that in controls (P<0.01). This suggests that CCK. VIP play a key role in SDP.3. No significant differences in the expression levels of CCK, VfP mRNA were found in duodenum and jejunum between Four Gentlemen decoction preventive group and control group. The expression levels of CCK, VIP mRNA in duodenum of SDP group were significantly lower than that of preventive group (P<0.01). The expression levels of CCK, VIP mRNA in jejunum of SDP group were significantly lower than that of preventive group (P<0.05). These results indicate that Four Gentlemen decoction had preventive action on SDP.4. The expression levels of CCK, VIP mRNA in duodenum and jejunum of spontaneous recovery group were significantly lower than that of control group (p<0.01). There were no significant differences in the expression levels of CCK, VIP mRNA between group I, II treated by Four Gentlemen decoction and control group. In duodenum, the expression levels of CCK, VIP mRNA in group I, II treated by Four Gentlemen decoction were significantly higher than that of spontaneous recovery group (P<0.01), in jejunum, that is P<0.05. No significant differences were found between group I and group II. These findings suggest that Four Gentlemen decoction may exert their beneficial therapeutic action on SDP, at least in part, by upregulated CCK, VIP mRNA levels in duodenum and jejunum.