Han Fang Ji

Han Fang Ji - Stephania tetrandria
		Professional Data

Pin Yin
Han Fang Ji

Latin
Radix Stephaniae tetrandrae

Introduction

This herb is the dried root of Stephania tetrandria S. Moore (Fam. Menispermaceae). The drug is collected in autumn, washed clean, removed from the outer coarse bark, half-dried in the sun, cut into section; the large one is cut longitudinally; and dried.

Western medical

This herb is indicated in the treatment of gout, hyperosteogeny, hypertension, congestive heart failure, arrhythmia and angina pectoris, etc..

Eastern medical

Pattern: Removes Wind and Damp, induces diuresis and dissolves swelling.
Properties: Bitter, acrid, cold.
Channels entered: Bladder and Lung.

Chemical constituents

Han Fang Ji contains various kind of alkaloids, such as tetrandrine, sinomenine and cyclanoline.

Pharmacological actions

Muscular relaxation effect

Applied in TCM anaesthesia, fang ji had certain muscular relaxatio neffect, tetrandrine dimethiodide had the best effect.

Analgesic effect

Tetrandrine could significantly increase threshold of pain.

Anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects

Tetrandrine and sinomenine had antipyrotic effect to different degree. Tetrandrine also had slight anti allergic shock effect.

Effect of lowering blood pressure

Tetrandrine could lower blood pressure, which was proved by animal experiment.

Anti pathogenic microbe effect and anti-tumor effect

In vitro, han fang ji could inhibit or kill bacillus dysenteriae and some fungi, as well as Entamoeba histolytica. Through experiment observation, tetrandrine could kill cancer cells in vitro.

Effect of inhibiting pneumosilicosis fibrosis

Tetrandrine had good inhibitory effect on experimental pneumosilicosis fibrosis in rats.

Clinical Studies

Gout

fang ji 15g, cang zhu 10g, yi yi ren 30g, zhi mu 10g, shi gao 15g, lian qiao 10g, gong ying 15g, bi xie 10g, jin qian cao 10g, qin jiao 10g, chuan xiong 10g, sheng gan cao 6g. 1 dose every day, water decoction, take the medicine once in the morning and once in the evening. The formula could be modified according to accompanying symptoms. 28 cases were treated, 16 were cured, 12 improved.

Hyperosteogeny

fang ji, hong hua, tao ren, 30g each; ru xiang, mo yao, 20g each; qin jiao, gong ying, chuang xiong, wei ling xian, cang zhu, cao wu, 40g each; gan jiang 50g. For hyperosteogeny in the cervical vertebrae, add tou gu cao and ge gen; for hyperosteogeny in the elbow joint, add tou gu cao; for hyperosteogeny in the waist, knee or calcaneus, add du hong and niu xi. The herbs were made into juice and used in electrophoresis apparatus therapy. 2100 cases were treated with this method, 1176 cases got a short-term cure, and 686 markedly effective, 228 effective, and 8 ineffective.

Hypertension

Tetrandrine 120~180mg for intravenous injection, twice daily. 270 cases of hypertension were treated with thi method, 143 cases were markedly effective, 85 effective, 42 ineffective, and the total effective rate was 84.1%.

Congestive heart failure

Fang Ji Fu Ling Tang (fang ji, fu ling, da zao, 15g each; huang qi, dang shen, 20g, gui zhi, chuan xiong, che qian zi, ze xie, bai jie zi, lai fu zi, su zi, 9g each; ting li zi, 30g, dan shen 18g) was used to treat congestive heart failure. 1 dose every day, water decoction, 30~40 days as a course of treatment, 1~2 courses' administration. 60 cases were treated, 24 were markedly effective, 18 effective, 18 ineffective, and the total effective rate was 75%.

Arrhythmia

Ping Lu Mixture (huang qi, dan shen, 20g each; fang ji, ku shen, ge gen, 15g each), 1 dose every day, 10 days as a course of treatment. The method was used to treat 55 cases of tachyarrhythmia. Compared with the control group (treated with mexiletine), there's no significant difference.

Angina pectoris

Tetrandrine 2~3mg/kg was added into 20ml physiological saline solution for intravenous injection, twice daily, 2 weeks' treatment totally. 20 cases of angina pectoris were treated with this method, 8 were markedly effective, 10 improved, 2 ineffective. There's no significant difference in the effect between it and the control group treated western medicine.

incomplete pyloric obstruction

Ji Jiao Li Huang Tang (fang ji, tu da huang, 10g each; jiao mu 5g; ting li zi 15g), 1 dose every day made into 150ml concentrated juice for oral administration or gavage through stomach tube, 1 week as a course of treatment. 22 cases of incomplete pyloric onbstruction were treated, all were cured within 2~7 days.

References

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