Evaluation of analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of Rubia cordifolia L. by spectrum-effect relationships.

The objective of the current work was to evaluate the spectrum-effect relationships between high-performance liquid chromatography fingerprints and analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of Rubia cordifolia L. extract (RCE), and to identify active components of RCE. Chemical fingerprints of ten batches of RC from various sources were obtained by HPLC, and similarity and hierarchical clustering analyses were carried out. Pharmacodynamic assays were performed in adjuvant-induced arthritis rat model to assess the analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of RCE. The spectrum-effect relationships between chemical fingerprints and the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of RCE were established by gray correlation analysis. UPLC-ESI-MS was used to identify the structures of potential active components, by reference standards comparison. The results showed that a close correlation existed between chemical fingerprints with analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities, and alizarin, 6-hydroxyrubiadin, purpurin and rubiadin might be the active constituents of RCE. In addition, RCE attenuated pathological changes in adjuvant-induced arthritis. The current findings provide a strong basis for combining chemical fingerprints with analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities in assessing the spectrum-effect relationships of RCE.

[Effects of different acupuncture intensities on the therapeutic effect and the gastric electric activity in the patient of diabetic gastroparesis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe clinical therapeutic effect of different acupuncture intensities on diabetic gastroparesis and to search for the best acupuncture intensity for treatment of diabetic gastroparesis. METHODS: Eighty cases were randomly divided into 4 groups, strong, moderate, weak acupuncture intensity groups and an oral hypoglycemic drug group, 20 cases in each group. Two weeks of treatment constituted one course. RESULTS: The total effective rates were 85.0%, 95.0%, 85.0% in the acupuncture groups, respectivelly, with significant difference as compared with 65.0% of the control group (P<0.05). The moderate intensity acupuncture group had the best clinical therapeutic effect. The principal frequency and amplitude of the stomach electrogastrogram in the gastric antrum and the stomach body significantly improved in the acupuncture groups, which was better than those in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Acupuncture has significant therapeutic effect on diabetic gastroparesis, and there is a dose-effect relation between different intensities of acupuncture and curative effects,which are correlated with the regulation of the gastric electric parameters.