To observe the effect of Shuangcao Tuihuang Granule-1 (SCTH-1) in treating severe jaundice of acute icterohepatitis and to study its mechanism. Methods: Thirty-four patients with severe jaundice of acute icterohepatitis were treated with conventional western medicine and SCTH-1, the therapeutic effects were analyzed and compared with that in the control group (treated with western medicine alone). In the animal experimental studies, the influences of SCTH-1 on acute liver injury, liver superoxide dismutase (SOD) and serum ALT and AST in mice were monitored. Results: The markedly effective rate in the treated group and the control group was 73.5% and 59.1% respectively, and the effective rate was 23.5% and 40.9% respectively. The markedly effective rate in the treated group was obviously higher than that in the control group (P＜0.05). Experimental study showed that SCTH-1 could reduce the level of serum transaminase and liver tissue damage in mice with acute liver damage. In addition, SCTH-1 could raise the activity of liver SOD (P＜0.05). Conclusion: SCTH-1 could accelerate the jaundice subsidence, improve the liver function and ameliorate the liver injury, its mechanism was possibly correlated with raising SOD activity and scavenging oxygen free radicals.

Large and small doses of drugs for improving blood circulation and removing blood stasis were used in model rats to treat mild chronic hepatic damage induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). The results show that large dose of Dang Gui (当归 Radix Angelicae Sinensis) and Dan Shen (丹参 Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae) (drugs for regulating blood flow) and small dose of Yu Jin (郁金 Radix Curcumae) and Niu Xi (牛膝 Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae) (drugs for activating blood flow) can significantly elevate the activity of SOD (P<0.05) and/or lower the T/K ratio, markedly reduce the MDA content (P<0.05 or P<0.01) and significantly decrease the activities of ALT and AST (P<0.05 or P<0.01), demonstrating that these drugs are effective in combating oxygen free radicals (OFR) in chronic liver damage. On the contrary, large dose of Tu Bie Chong (土鳖虫 Eupolyphaga seu Steleophaga) and E Zhu (莪术 Rhizoma Curcumae) (drugs for removing blood stasis) tend to increase the ALT and AST (P<0.05) activities. The results suggest that the synergism of elevation of the SOD activity and reduction of T/K ratio contributes to the action of drugs for improving blood circulation and removing blood stasis in combating the liver damage induced by CCl4.

冬虫夏草挥发油成分分析

1 IntroductionCordyceps sinensis (Berk.) Sacc. is a parasitic fungus on the larvae of Leidoptera. The fruiting bodies of C. sinensis have been used as food and tonic herbal medicine for a variety of dieases for centuries, named Dong-Chong-Xia-Cao in mandarin. C. sinensis extract has been used for the treatment of hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, respiratory and liver diseases, renal dysfunction, renal failure[1], and its antioxidant properties have also been widely used. The extract of C. sinensis has been shown to increase the level of high-energy phosphates in mouse liver[2] and steroidogenesis[3] ,superoxide dismutase activity in red blood cell (RBC), and to decrease plasma malonedialdehyde and oxygen free radicals in older patients.

Objective: To detect superoxide anion (O-2) signalsin the heart, liver, lung and kidney tissues after burns.Methods: Twenty-four male rats were randomizedinto 4 groups. The rats of experimental groups wereimmersed in 100℃ water for 15 seconds and 25% third-degree burn was created. Thoracotomy or laparotomy wasperformed at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 minutes after burn, andspecimens of the heart, lung, liver kidney were obtained forburned rats. The specimens were then preserved in liquidnitrogen for cryo-preservation and detected immediatelyusing EPR.Results: The signals of superoxide O radicalappeared in the heart, lung, liver and kidney specimens10-15 minutes after burn.Conclusions: There is a direct evidence of oxygen freeradicals (OFRs) injury to viscera of burned rats between10-15 minutes after burn.