[Study on antiinflammatory effect of a compound TCM agent containing ant extractive in animal models]

Abstract

Objective: To study the antiinflammatory effect of a compound TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) agent on animal models. The agent contains ant extractive and a blent of three herbal products, herba epimedii, fructus cnidii, and fructus lycii.

Method: Three animal models to induce experimental inflammation in rats, including carrageenin--induced paw edema, cotton-ball granuloma and adjuvant induced arthritis, were chosen to study the antiinflammatory effect of the TCM agent.

Result: The TCM agent showed a marked inhibitory effect on edema induced by all three types of inflammation in rats, the inhibitory rate of the TCM agent at the dose of 0.20, 0.40 and 0.80 g.kg-1 in granuloma model bing over 25% at 1 hour post oral administration, and being 23.8%, 22.7%, 39.7% at 6 hour. In addition, the TCM agent also showed a significant preventive as well as therapeutic effect on adjuvant induced arthritis in rats, and improved the pathological changes of the animal joints with the induced arthritis.

Conclusion: TCM agent has significant antiinflammatory effects on the three above mentioned animal models.