Screening the effective components in treating dampness stagnancy due to spleen deficiency syndrome and elucidating the potential mechanism of Poria water extract

Poria is an important medicine for inducing diuresis to drain dampness from the middle energizer.However,the specific effective components and the potential mechanism of Poria remain largely unknown.To identify the effective components and the mechanism of Poria water extract(PWE)to treat dampness stagnancy due to spleen deficiency syndrome(DSSD),a rat model of DSSD was established through weight-loaded forced swimming,intragastric ice-water stimulation,humid living environment,and alternate-day fasting for 21 days.After 14 days of treatment with PWE,the results indicated that PWE increased fecal moisture percentage,urine output,D-xylose level and weight;amylase,albumin,and total protein levels;and the swimming time of rats with DSSD to different extents.Eleven highly related components were screened out using the spectrum-effect relationship and LC-MS.Mechanistic studies revealed that PWE significantly increased the expression of serum motilin(MTL),gastrin(GAS),ADCY5/6,p-PKAα/β/γcat,and phosphorylated cAMP-response element binding protein in the stomach,and AQP3 expression in the colon.Moreover,it decreased the levels of serum ADH,the expression of AQP3 and AQP4 in the stomach,AQP1 and AQP3 in the duodenum,and AQP4 in the colon.PWE induced diuresis to drain dampness in rats with DSSD.Eleven main effective components were identified in PWE.They exerted therapeutic effect by regulating the AC-cAMP-AQP signaling pathway in the stomach,MTL and GAS levels in the serum,AQP1 and AQP3 expression in the duodenum,and AQP3 and AQP4 expression in the colon.

Clinical research on using acupuncture to treat female adult abdominal obesity with spleen deficiency and exuberant dampness

OBJECTIVE： To observe the curative effect of acu- puncture at hour-prescriptive points, a method of midnight-noon ebb-flow, to treat female adult ab- dominal obesity with spleen deficiency and exuber- ant dampness. METHODS： Seventy-two patients with adult ab- dominal obesity with spleen deficiency and exuber- ant dampness were randomly divided into a treat- ment group and a control group with 36 patients in each group. Patients in the treatment group were treated with acupuncture at hour-prescriptive points from 9 to 11 AM every day on the principle of taking points along channels in time. Patients in the control group were treated with acupuncture at any time beyond 9 to 11 AM. Patients in both groups were treated for three courses of treatment.treatment group and 78.8% in the control group. The total curative effect in the treatment group was significantly better than that in the control group in reducing body weight, body mass index, waistline, obesity level, and clinical symptoms （P〈0.05）. After treatment, t-test was used on two independent samples to analyze the ratio of waistline to hipline and hipline. A value of 0.01〈P〈0.05 expressed a weaker outcome and similar curative effect be- tween the two groups in reducing ratio of waistline to hipline and hipline of patients. This value indi- cates that the treatment group has no obvious su- periority to that of the control group for curative effect. CONCLUSION： Because it was superior in reducing waistline and body weight of female adult pa- tients suffering from abdominal obesity with spleen deficiency and exuberant dampness, acu- puncture at hour-prescriptive points, a method of midnight-noon ebb-flow, is an effective method to treat obesity.