Effect of Kudzuvine Root in Improving Neuroelectrophysiological Function of Brain in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus Type 2

Objective: To investigate the effects of kudzuvine root on 3 kinds of brain evoked potential in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2). Methods: Forty-six cases of DM2 were randomized into two groups: the control group and the treatment group, they were respectively treated orally with 50 ml of normal saline or 50ml of kudzuvine root decoction containing kudzuvine root 0.4 g/ml. The short latency somatosen-sory evoked potential (SSEP), brainstern auditory evoked potential (BAEP) and visual evoked potential (VEP) in patients were measured before and 40 min after treatment. Results: (1) SSEP in the control group was not changed significantly before and after taking normal saline (P>0.05), while in the treatment group there appeared a significant delay in peak latency (PL) of N13 wave (N13PL) and a significant shortening in N20PL and interpeak latency (IPL) between N13 wave and N20 wave (N13-N20 IPL) after kudzuvine treatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01). But the difference of various parameters of SSEP between the two groups was insignificant difference (P>0.05). (2) BAEP in the control group was not changed significantly after treatment (P>0.05), while in the treatment group Ⅰ-Ⅲ IPL and Ⅰ-Ⅴ IPL were significantly shortened, showing significant difference as compared with those in the control group (both P<0. 01). (3) VEP in the control group was not changed significantly after treatment (P>0.05), while in the treatment group the amplitude of P100 wave increased obviously (P<0.01). But the difference of various VEP parameters between the two groups was not significant statistically after treatment( P>0. 05). Conclusion: Kudzuvine could shorten the latent period of brain evoked potential and the central transmission time, increase the amplitude of cortex wave and turn it back to normal, thus to effectively protect and accommodate the brain function in patients with DM2.

Effective components of Chinese herbs reduce central nervous system function decline induced by iron overload

Abnormally increased levels of iron in the brain trigger cascade amplification in Alzheimer＇s dis- ease patients, resulting in neuronal death. This study investigated whether components extracted from the Chinese herbs epimedium herb, milkvetch root and kudzuvine root could relieve the abnormal expression of iron metabolism-related protein in Alzheimer＇s disease patients. An APPs,~JPSI^E9 double transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer＇s disease was used. The intragas- tric administration of compounds from epimedium herb, milkvetch root and kudzuvine root improved pathological alterations such as neuronal edema, increased the number of neurons, downregulated divalent metal transporter 1 expression, upregulated ferroportin 1 expression, and inhibited iron overload in the cerebral cortex of mice with Alzheimer＇s disease. These com- pounds reduced iron overload-induced impairment of the central nervous system, indicating a new strategy for developing novel drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer＇s disease.