RESUMO
AIM To compare the diuretic effects of Descurainiae Semen (DS),Coicis Semen (CS) and Plantaginis Semen (PS),and to observe their mechanical similarities and differences.METHODS Metabolic cage method was applied to investigating the diuretic effects of DS (2.34 g/kg),CS (7.00 g/kg) and PS (3.50 g/kg),whose diuretic mechanisms were studied by cryoscopic method,enzyme method,ion selective electrode method,ELISA and Western blot.RESULTS DS,CS and PS obviously increased saline-loaded rats' urine volume (P ＜ 0.05) and reduced their body weight (P ＜ 0.05) after administration for 7 h,which exhibited no significant effects on urine creatinine (Ucr),serum creatinine (Scr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN)(P ＞ 0.05).DS showed its diuretic effect mainly by lowering the levels of serum Na +,atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP),brain natriuretic peptide (BNP),pulmonary AQP3,renal AQP1 and AQP2;CS showed its diuretic effect mainly by reducing the levels of serum Na +,Cl-,ANP,pulmonary AQP3,gastric AQP3,renal AQP1 and AQP2;PS showed its diuretic effect mainly by decreasing the levels of serum Na + and Cl-,pulmonary AQP3,gastric AQP3,renal AQP1 and AQP2.CONCLUSION Three medicinal materials have significant diuretic effects without obvious renal harm.DS categorized as a medicinal plant of lung channel and tropism has a great effect on netriuretic peptide system,CS categorized as a medicinal plant of spleen channel and tropism has a great effect on gastric AQP3,and PS categorized as a medicinal plant of renal channel and tropism has a great effect on renal AQPs.