The effective method for investigation meridian tropism theory in rats.

This present work describes an effective new method for study traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on meridian tropism (MT) theory, which plays an essential role in clinical selection of TCM according to syndromes and strengthens the therapeutic effects. The new thread included material basis foundation and its tissue distribution study. Xiheliu, the most popular TCM on heart tropism, was investigated by simple and accurate high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The analysis of plasma after oral administration the total flavonoid of Xiheliu (TFX) exhibited that tamarixetin and kaempferide had the highest concentration and approximately the highest level within 25 min. The mixture of them could last accelerating the urine excretion more than 7 h after a single dose and could not cause the disorder of ion in rats, which was observed in diuretic activity experiment. In view of the reported biological activities was consistent with the effects of Xiheliu, tamarixetin and kaempferide were likely to be the material basis of it. Tissue distribution study showed that the highest level of analytes was in heart, lung, kidney and liver, and most tissues reached maximum level at 30 min post-dose. Since liver was the most important blood-supply tissue, the result of this experiment was in accordance with the MT record of Xiheliu and confirmed that tamarixetin and kaempferide was the material bases of it on MT. This is the first report for the illumination of material basis and the mechanism of Xiheliu on MT by analysis the record of Xiheliu in Compendium of Materia Medica and experimental study.