Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang

Functions

Pelvic inflammation results from damp heat as pathogenic toxins invade the pelvic cavity causing a stagnancy of Qi and blood. Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang assists to activate the blood to resolve stasis and to promote the flow of qi to relieve pain. The formula is customarily used to treat chest pain and headache (stabbing pain with fixed locale) caused by blood stasis in the chest. It is also used to treat hiccups, retching, irritability, palpitations, insomnia, afternoon tidal fever, purple tongue with ecchymosis, and hesitant pulse.

Dosage Info

Honeyed pill: 9g/pill. For adults, one pill is taken orally twice a day with warm boiled water or warm ginger soup. Granule: taken with warm boiled water, one bag 3 times a day. Oral solution: taken 10 ml 3 times every day. 5:1 concentrated extract: 9 grams/day.

Ingredients

Precautions

Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang is contraindicated for pregnancy.

Toxicity
MTD (mice/intragastric perfusion): 6g (equivalent of raw drug)/administration; 12g (equivalent of raw drug)/day. No abnormal changes were observed in the heart, liver, spleen, lung, or kidney in subjects treated at MTD dosages. Long-term toxicity tests: No toxic reaction was found in subjects treated at MTD dosages for 2 consecutive months. (1)

Pharmacology

Effects on the immune system: When administered to mice who have had their immunity compromised with cyclophosphamide, modified Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang has been shown to increase the weight of the subjects’ immune organs, enhance the phagocytic capacity of monocytes, promote the production of hemolysin antigen IgM, and raise the number of T lymphocytes in the peripheral blood. (2)

Anti-fibrosis: Modified Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang can inhibit collagens I and III in rats with tetrachloromethane-induced cirrhosis. Rats treated with this formula were found to have lower collagen I and III levels than those treated with colchicine or normal saline. The rats treated with the formula had collagen I and III levels similar to those of normal rats. These results indicated that the formula has a protective effect on cells, an effect potentially linked to its anti-fibrosis mechanism. (3)

Antioxidation: When administered to rats, modified Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang can lower the MDA levels in the subjects’ brain tissue, enhance the activity of SOD, and lower the lipofuscin levels. This effect appears to be dose-dependent. (4)

Effects on platelet and endothelial functions: Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang (40mg/ml, 80mg/ml) can suppress ADP-induced expression of compound GPIIb/IIIa and resist ADP-induced activation of platelet by preventing exposure of GP Iib/IIIa compound. (5)

Protective effects on myocardial cells: Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang can enhance the expression of nitric oxide synthase in mRNA, lower the release of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH-L), creatine phosphokinase (CK), and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) in cultured hypoxic and hypoglycemic myocytes. (6)

Effects on red cell membrane fluidity: When administered in combination with expectorants, Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang can have a bi-directional regulatory action on red cell membrane fluidity in patients with blood stasis-type coronary heart disease (CHD). The red cell membrane fluidity (0.237 ± 0.021) of the phlegm-heat-blood stasis type of CHD was significantly higher than that of the normal control group (0.267± 0.025), while that of the phlegm-stagnancy-blood stasis type of CHD (0.287 ± 0.021) was significantly lower than that of the control group. Treatment with modified Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang can return the red cell membrane fluidity in the aforementioned two types of CHD patients to normal. (7)

Anti-atherosclerosis: When administered to rabbits with experimental atherosclerosis, Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang can lower the levels of total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and inhibit platelet aggregation. In comparison with a high lipid group, this formula can reduce the area of the inner artery plaque and the number of incidences of coronary arteriopathy. (8) Further studies have shown that Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang can suppress hyperplasia of the vascular smooth muscle cells and prevent formation of atherosclerosis by affecting the mRNA expression of platelet derivant growth factor (PDGF)-A and vascular plaque tissue c-myc in the rabbit vascular wall. (9)

Effects on endothelial endocrine function: When administered to rabbits with blood stasis, Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang can lower the plasma ET level, increase the content of prostacyclin (PGI2), enhance the activity of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), and inhibit the activity of plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI). This indicates that Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang has a regulatory effect on the endocrine functional activity of vascular endothelial cells in animals with blood stasis syndrome. (10)

Clinical Applications

Angina pectoris
Geng treated 30 cases of angina pectoris with Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang. The formula consisted of Tao Ren (Persica), Hong Hua (Carthamus), Sheng Di Huang (Rehmannia Root), Dang Gui (Dang Gui), Niu Xi (Achyranthes), Chi Shao (Peony Red), Chuan Xiong (Cnidium), Zhi Qiao (Aurantium Fruit), Jie Geng (Platycodon Root), Chai Hu (Bupleurum), and Gan Cao (Licorice). The patients were administered one dose of the formula daily, and one course of treatment lasted for four days. A comparison group of 20 cases was treated with nifedipine and nitroglycerin. The results showed that the comparison group and the treatment group had total effectiveness rates of 80% and 85%, respectively, for relieving angina, and rates of 35% and 83.3%, respectively, for relieving other concomitant symptoms. (11)

Pulmonary heart disease
Li treated 15 cases of chronic pulmonary heart disease with modified Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang. After 15 days of treatment, 13 cases had significant improvement and the remaining 2 cases had some improvement. (12)

Arrhythmia
Zhong treated 40 cases of senile ventricular extrasystole with modified Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang according to each individual’s symptoms. Ten days constituted one course of treatment. The results showed that all cases were resolved. (13)

Hyperlipidemia
Ma, et al. treated 55 cases of senile hyperlipidemia with modified Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang. The results showed that 17 cases significantly improved, another 33 cases somewhat improved, and the remaining 5 cases did not respond to the treatment, with a total effectiveness rate of 90%. After the treatment, all of the patients had lower plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels (P

References

  1. Sun Li Hong, et al. Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang’s toxicity. China Journal of TCM Theories. 1999;5(supplement I):248.
  2. Peng Kang, et al. Modified Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang’s preventive effects on cyclophosphamide-induced immune hypofunction in mice. Journal of Pharmacology and Clinical Application of TCM. 1996;12(1):6-8.
  3. Song Jia Wu, et al. Xue Fu Zhang Yu Tang’s antagonistic effect on cirrhosis in rats. Journal of Integrated Medicine for Liver Diseases. 1997;7(1):38-40.
  4. Mo Sun Lian, et al. Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang’s anti-oxidation effect. Journal of Pharmacology and Clinical Application of TCM. 1996;12(6):5-6.
  5. Li Yan Mei, et al. Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang’s effects on platelet and endothelial cell functions. China Journal of Integrated Medicine. 1999;19(5):289-291.
  6. Wang Wei, et al. Modified Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang’s effects on the expression of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) in cultured hypoxia hypoglycemic cardiac muscle cells. China Journal of Integrated Medicine. 1996;16(11): 670-672.
  7. Mao Hai Yan, et al. Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang’s regulatory effect on red cell membrane fluidity in patients with blood stasis type coronary heart disease. Journal of Shandong College of TCM. 1996;20(1):48-49.
  8. Li Jing, et al. Modified Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang’s effect on experimental atheroscleorsis (AS) in rabbits. China Journal of Integrated Medicine. 1995;15(5):287-290.
  9. Li Jing, et al. Modified Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang’s effect on the expression of platelet derivant growth factor (PDGF)-A and vascular plaque tissue c-myc in vascular walls of rabbits of experimental atheroscleorsis (AS). China Journal of Integrated Medicine. 1995;15(1):33-35.
  10. Wang Qi, et al. Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang’s effect on endocrine functional activity in rabbits of experimental blood stasis. China Journal of TCM Theories. 1998;4(6):31-34.
  11. Geng Jun. Treating angina pectoris with Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang. Journal of Jiangxi College of TCM. 1999;11(3):145.
  12. Li Jie Xia, et al. Treating chronic pulmonary heart disease with modified Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang. Hubei Journal of TCM. 1999;21(3):113-114.
  13. Zhong Wen Hua. 40 cases of senile ventricular extrasystole treated with Xue Fu Zhu Yu Tang. Jiangxi Journal of TCM. 1998;29(6):24.