Jiao Gu Lan

Functions

According to traditional Chinese medicine, this formula nourishes the heart and invigorates the spleen, replenishes qi and regulates blood flow, and expels phlegm and removes blood stasis. It is used to treat hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis, and angiocardiopathy due to heart, spleen and qi deficiencies, phlegm stagnation, and blood stasis.

Ingredients

Precautions

Toxicity: LD50: 860mg/kg (mice/abdominal injection); 2826mg/kg (mice/oral)

Pharmacology

The primary pharmacological actions of this formula are lowering blood lipids, inhibiting blood platelet aggregation, and countering myocardial ischemia damage. (1) , (2) , (3) , (4)

Hyperlipidemia: At the dosage of 100mg/kg for seven days, administering this formula to hamsters with hyperlipidemia induced by high-sugar, high-fat diet results in a significant decrease in their cholesterol and triglyceride levels: while the cholesterol and triglyceride levels of the control group are 159.0+/-19.0mg/dl, and 234.4+/-18.1mg/dl, respectively, those of the treatment group are 107.9+/-8.8mg/dl and 153.6+/-9.1mg/dl, respectively. If the dosage is increased to 500mg/kg, after seven days of treatment, the blood lipid level of the treatment group approaches that of normal animals.

Lowering lipid peroxide (LPO): At the dosage of 100mg/kg, the formula can significantly lower the serum lipid peroxide level in animals treated with a high-sugar, high-fat diet. While the control group shows an LPO level of 9.8+/-0.86nmol/ml, that of the treatment group is 1.84+/-0.05nmol/ml.

Inhibiting fat synthesis: Using epididymis adipose tissue, in vitro cell cultivation experiments generally can increase the decomposition of adipose cells by adding ACTH or adrenaline to the culture solution, generating free fatty acid. Adding this formula to the culture solution, however, can inhibit the generation of free fatty acid, with an inhibition rate of about 28%.

Inhibiting blood platelet aggregation: Experiments show that this formula can inhibit the blood platelet aggregation induced by arachidonic acid (AA), ADP, and collagen. Generally, this formula can counter the impact of inductors on blood platelet’s ultrastructure, rendering blood platelets in a dispersed state with a smooth surface, no pseudopod formation, and intracellular particles plentiful and clear.

Myocardial ischemia damage: This formula can not only limit the scope of myocardial infarction, it can also counter post-myocardial ischemia reirrigation damage. It does so, experiments show, by increasing glutathione peroxidase activity, decreasing MDA content, restoring cell membrane fluidity, maintaining cell function, and improving post-reirrigation myocardial ultrastructure.

Hemodynamics: Depending on dosage, the formula can either excite or inhibit the cardiovascular system. For instance, administering the formula to dogs by IV injection at the dosage of 1mg/kg, the formula excites the cardiovascular system, increasing the systolic pressure by 33%, the diastolic pressure by 21%, with no noticeable change in the heart rate. When the dosage is increased to 20mg/kg, however, the formula inhibits the cardiovascular system, decreasing the systolic pressure by 13%, the diastolic pressure by 14%, and the heart rate by 99%.

Clinical Applications

This formula is primarily used to treat hyperlipidemia. (5) , (6) , (7) , (8) , (9) , (10)

A study followed up on 321 patients of hyperlipidemia treated with this formula (3 x 40mg/day for two treatment cycles, each cycle lasting a full month) and reported the results as follows: while prior to treatment, the cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipidprotein cholesterol and low-density lipidprotein cholesterol levels were (mg/dl) 263.1, 252.9, 29.4, and 167.8, respectively, the same indicators were measured at 226.4, 168.3, 41.2, and 140.0, respectively, after the treatment. Other reports further observed that the formula is effective for treating hyperlipemia of the types of qi deficiency, blood stasis, phlegm-dampness, and phlegm stagnation, especially so for treating hyperlipidemia of the first two types.

References

  1. Dai Han Yun, et al. Journal of Materia Medica. 1989;20(4):5.
  2. Ding Shu Li, et al. Journal of Medicine Abroad. 1991;6(3):99.
  3. Yu Yan Qin, et al. Journal of Shanxi Medical College. 1993;24(2):144.
  4. Guo Sheng Zhen, et al. Journal of Materia Medica. 1987;18(7):37.
  5. The First Military Medicine University. Clinical Studies on Jiao Gu Lan. 1989.
  6. Jiao Gu Lan Group. First Military Medicine University Hospital. Clinical Studies on Jiao Gu Lan. 1989.
  7. Qian Bao Qing, et al. Journal of Combining Western Medicine and TCM. 1990;10(3):166.
  8. Lin Wei Min, et al. Journal of Combining Western Medicine and TCM. 1991;11(11):681.
  9. Zhou Qing Fa, et al. Shannxi Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine. 1991;12(1):6.
  10. Zhou Hong Yan, et al. Hunan Journal of Medicine. 1991;8:259.