Yun Huang1, Ping Yao2, Ka Wing Leung1, Huaiyou Wang1, Xiang Peng Kong1, Tina Ting Xia Dong1, Yicun Chen3, Qi-Wei Qin4, Karl Wah Keung Tsim5. 1. Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Edible and Medicinal Bioresources, Shenzhen Research Institute, Hi-Tech Park, Nanshan, Shenzhen 518000, China; Division of Life Science and Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China. 2. Division of Life Science and Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China. 3. Division of Life Science and Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China; Pharmacology Department, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China. 4. Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China. 5. Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Edible and Medicinal Bioresources, Shenzhen Research Institute, Hi-Tech Park, Nanshan, Shenzhen 518000, China; Division of Life Science and Center for Chinese Medicine, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China. Electronic address: botsim@ust.hk.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory, the herbal property is the most important guiding principle of ancient medication in China. The classification of warm- and cold-stimulating TCM is defined mainly based on the effects of herbs in regulating body temperature; however, the underlying mechanism of such distinction has not been fully identified. METHODS: Here, four commonly used spleen-meridian herbs, Ginseng Radix and Astragali Radix as typical warm-stimulating herbs, and Nelumbinis Semen and Coicis Semen as typical cold-stimulating herbs, were selected to test their effects in regulating body temperature, as well as its triggered thermo-regulatory factors and energy related metabolites, in yeast-induced fever rats. RESULTS: The intake of Astragali Radix increased body temperature in yeast-induced fever rats; while Coicis Semen showed cooling effects in such rats. In parallel, the levels of cAMP, PGE2 and thermo-related metabolites, including choline, creatine, alanine, lactate and leucine, in the blood of yeast-induced rats were increased significantly by the intake of Astragali Radix. Oppositely, the cold-stimulating herbs, Nelumbinis Semen and Coicis Semen, showed cooling effects by increasing certain metabolites, e.g. histidine, tyrosine, lipid, myo-inositol, as well as AVP level. CONCLUSION: Here, we compared different effects of warm and cooling spleen-meridian herbs in the regulation of body temperature. By providing an intuitive comparison of thermo-regulatory factors and related metabolites after intake of selected herbs, the mechanism behind the warm and cooling effects of specific herbs were revealed.
BACKGROUND: According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory, the herbal property is the most important guiding principle of ancient medication in China. The classification of warm- and cold-stimulating TCM is defined mainly based on the effects of herbs in regulating body temperature; however, the underlying mechanism of such distinction has not been fully identified. METHODS: Here, four commonly used spleen-meridian herbs, Ginseng Radix and Astragali Radix as typical warm-stimulating herbs, and Nelumbinis Semen and Coicis Semen as typical cold-stimulating herbs, were selected to test their effects in regulating body temperature, as well as its triggered thermo-regulatory factors and energy related metabolites, in yeast-induced feverrats. RESULTS: The intake of Astragali Radix increased body temperature in yeast-induced feverrats; while Coicis Semen showed cooling effects in such rats. In parallel, the levels of cAMP, PGE2 and thermo-related metabolites, including choline, creatine, alanine, lactate and leucine, in the blood of yeast-induced rats were increased significantly by the intake of Astragali Radix. Oppositely, the cold-stimulating herbs, Nelumbinis Semen and Coicis Semen, showed cooling effects by increasing certain metabolites, e.g. histidine, tyrosine, lipid, myo-inositol, as well as AVP level. CONCLUSION: Here, we compared different effects of warm and cooling spleen-meridian herbs in the regulation of body temperature. By providing an intuitive comparison of thermo-regulatory factors and related metabolites after intake of selected herbs, the mechanism behind the warm and cooling effects of specific herbs were revealed.