Experiments on various animal species showed that A. sinensis root had a biphasic action on the isolated pregnant and nonpregnant uteri as well as on the intact uteri and chronic uterine fistulae. The volatile oil with a high boiling point (180-210-C) inhibited the uterus at the concentration of 1:50: it had a fast onset and was long acting. It decreased the rhythmic contraction of the uterus, causing muscular relaxation. At the concentration of 1:25, it completely stopped uterine contraction. The volatile oil could antagonize the excitatory action of epinephrine, pituitrin or histamine on the uterus.

The water or alcohol soluble nonvolatile substance of the herb exerted an excitatory action on the uterus causing strong uterine contraction. Multiple medications or high dosage produced tonic contraction. The alcohol soluble extract had a stronger excitatory effect than the water-soluble extract. Meanwhile, both the volatile and nonvolatile components, given by intravenous injection, produced an excitatory on the uterus in situ.

Experiments on rabbit uterine fistulae showed that the action of the herb on the uterus correlated with the functional state of the organ. When the intrauterine pressure was not increased, A.sinensis root slightly inhibited the uterine contraction, thereby relaxing the uterine muscles and improving blood flow and local nutrition. With increased intrauterine pressure, the uterine contraction, changing from arrhythmic to rhythmic, slowed down, thus allowing the muscles to rest and subsequently enhancing uterine contractility.

The aqueaous extract of the herb reduced vascular permeability (20.30g). The ID50 on mouse vascular permeablity, which was 185.9mg (crude drug)/kg by mouth, was equal to that of 201.1mg/kg of sodium acetylsalicylate; hence its action was 1.1 times stronger. Like sodium acetylsalicylate, it also suppressed the release of inflammatory factors (e.g 5-HT) from the platelets, thereby producing an antiinflammatory effect. The herb is 1.7 times more potent than sodium acetylsalicylate.

A weak inhibitory action was exhibited by the herb decoction in vitro against Esherichia coli, Salmonella typhi and paratyphi, Shigella dysenteriae, Vibrio cholerae, Proteus vulgaris, alpha and beta hemolytic streptococci, and Corynebacterium diptheriae. The prophylactic or therapeutic use of the volatile oil satisfactorily inhibited Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Shigella flexneri, and Pseudominas aeruginosa in mice.

The total extract of the herb, minus K+, injected intravenously at the dose of 3g/kg for 10 days, antagonized arrhythmia due to epinephrine: it decreased heart rate, reduced the incidence of serious arrhythmia such as ventricular and supraventricular tachycardia, replacing these with occasional premature beats. It induced a better normalization of the ECG patterns compared with that before medication. The extract did not antagonize the ischemic ECG patterns elicited by epinephrine. It had, however, a definite effect on arrhythmia due to pituitrin, but no significant effect on arrhythmia caused by aconitine or chloroform.

The quinidine like actions of A.sinensis root, i.e., lowering of cardiac excitability and prolongation of the atrial refractory period, are attributed to the active principles of the ether extract of the herb.

A.sinensis- root is a commonly used herb in gynaecology; it has therapeutic effects in dysmenorrea and menstrual disturbances. Its analgesic action in dysmenorrhea is thought to be related to its biphasic effect on the uterus and regulatory effect on the latter function.

In addition, the herb had anti-inflammatory and analgesic actions; it decreased vascular permeability and incidence of thrombosis; it also had a sedative action.

In experiments of 3H-5HT platelets, a marked inhibitory action on thrombin-induced platelet aggregation was exhibited by both the aqueous preparation of the herb at 500mg/ml and sodium ferulate at 1-2mg/ml.

A number of homologues of ligustilide, including vinylphthalide, propenylphthalide, isobutenylphthalide and butylphthalide, were synthesized and their biological activity was investigated. All of the compounds showed marked and comparable relaxing effects on animal tracheal smooth muscle, indicating that the phthalide moiety is the principle antiasthmatic component of phthalide derivatives of A.sinensis .

The onset of action of these phthalides was fastest for phthalide and ethenylpthalide and decreased with increasing chain length of the derivatives: however, the effect of gutylphthalide was faster than that of butenylphthalide. The relaxing effect of phthalides on smooth muscle was not associated with the ?-adrenergic receptor and was not affected by stimulating the release of mediators from the adrenergic system. Phthalides showed potent antagonistic effects on acetylcholine and histamine-induced tracheal muscle constriction, but their actions were not associated with histaminergic or cholinergic receptors. Phthalide had rapid and potent action against BaCl2 on tracheal smooth muscle, suggesting that the relaxant effect of phthalide is due to its direct action on tracheal smooth muscle.

The aqueus extract of the root of A.sinensis and its ingredient ferulic acid inhibited the rate of platelet aggregation and serotonin release in vivo and in vitro.

These properties may explain the therapeutic effects of the extract of A.sinensis on cerebrovascular disorder.

Moreover, both the alcohol extract and sodium ferulate, given i.v. to rats, had antiarrhythmic activity.

A.sinensis and ferulic acid potentiated the phagocytic activity of macrophages when given to mice.

An intense review of Chinese Medical literature shows no evidence of either substantial hormone content nor hormonal activity in humans or animals when given this herb. The basis for some of its activity is its strong effect of relaxing the muscles, esp. uterine muscles. The herb is not reported to have estrogenic activity and is not contraindicated during pregnancy. A. Sinensis is a nearly universal ingredient for pregnancy disorders and approved by the Japanese Ministry of Health for inclusion in pregnancy formulations.

25%~50% Dang Gui Injection 60~120ml was used for intravenous drip or injection, once daily; or, Dang Gui Syrup for oral administration, 20ml, tid, 15 days as a course of treatment, 100 cases of arrhythmia were treated, 36 of 70 cases of ventricular premature beat were effective. The method had better effect on VPB caused by coronary heart disease, had certain effect on atrial fibrillation and sick sinus syndrome, and had no effect on atrioventricular block.

25% Dang Gui Injection 200ml for intravenous drip, once daily, 20 days as a course of treatment was used to treat acute ischemic stroke. 50 cases were treated, 47 cases were effective, and s38 cases were markedly effective.

10 cases in the remission stage of pulmonary artery hypertension due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were treated with intra-pulmonary artery drip through floating catheter of 25% Dang Gui Injection 250ml at 40~50 drips per minute. When 125ml were infused, the average pulmonary artery pressure dropped to 2.8±0.7kpa from 3.4±0.6kpa in 9 cases; when 250ml were infused, it dropped to 2.7±0.9kpa (P<0.01). There's no change in heart rate and blood pressure, no arrhythmia was observed. But one case had a slightly elevated pulmonary artery pressure.

Anti-myopia formula (experimental formula): dang ui, chuan xiong, 12g each; hong hua, 9g; ren shen, 15g; hai feng teng, 12g; ji xue teng, huang qi, 15g each; ren shen xu, 6g; gou qi, 20g; qing xiang zi, 15g; e bu shi cao, 12g; shi xiang pu, 9g; sheng ma, 15g; water decoction, three times daily, one dose for two days, 1 month as a course of treatment. 321 cases were treated, 624 eyes totally, the total effective rate was 94%.

dang gui, chuan xiong, bai shao, sheng di, yu jin, shi chang pu, tian ma, ban xia, gui zhi, 10g~15g; bai zhu, fu ling, 15~20g; huang qi, sheng long gu, sheng mu li, gou tneg, 30g, 2 weeks as a course of treatment. 261 cases were treated, all were effective except for 8 cases.

Hua Liu Tang: dang gui wei, 10g; chi shao, 10g; hong hua 10g; tao ren 10g; dan shen 20g; shu zhi 10g; ban zhi lian 30g; bai hua she she cao 30g, 5 cases of brain tumor were treated for 6 months, and they survived for 2~7 years. Among 28 cases of thyrophyma, all were effective except for 3 cases.

Xiao Kui Yang (experimental formula): dang gui 15g, hong hua 8g, chi shao 10g, da huang 10g, yuan hu 10g, fu zi 3g, bai shao 20g, dang shen 20g, ying su ke 6g, 1 dose every day, three weeks in succession; then remove gui zhi and fu zi from above formula, add huang qi 30g, pu gong ying 20g, bai ji, 20g for another 1 week' treatment. 22 cases of peptic ulcer were treated, 14 were cured, 7 improved, 1 ineffective.

Except those noted, all references come from Weng Weiliang, et al., Clinical Chinese materia medica, Henan Science & Technology Press, 1998